
IN SCHOOL 
AND OUT 

MAUR,IGE GOODKIN 



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CJQEmiGHT DSFOSIC 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



by 
MAURICE GOODKIN 

Teacher in the Harrity-Lee 
Public School of Philadelphia 



MATTHEWS and DOUGHERTY, Publishers. 
Philadelphia, Pa. 



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DEC 16 '22 

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CONTENTS 



Paper, Paper, Everjnvhere paST© 1 

Shadows of the Day " 5 

Forbidden Fruit »».i¥*:«/»#*v4¥:>*i«4 4.%Lix>^^4it\i^*»iU*;«^.-;^ ; 8 

Criminal Neglect ** 12 

Lost and Found /AnUVi■.^h•;v¥.n•^UlVV7i■^^h•.^i¥>^f*^ t% 

Mingled Feelings ** 19 

The Wet Blanket " 22 

The Gift of Gum , , , . . " 25 

The Fallen Conqueror : ^Vi . : '** '■' '1i 

The Early Late-Comer * r -r-f,- . 4-i fV 32 

The Beloved Cheater " 35 

Homework » • i-k.msi . fV?fw» if'.f4>-'»'^nMft' f^ft • ..jiff,«5«*i4-*ff**;t'>"88 

Labor Lost " 43 

The Black Sheep ^^^Si. (./d!?^>if45 

Day Dreaming ^ " 47 

Henry's Composition' i^.viiMiWl.Ci^^Uv^v^ ^.wte^# " 60 

Bitter Sweets ^ ...♦,.. . " 55 

Nerves 'P^'^^f, ?;-l!^T. ^^^ 57 

Cir^mstantial Evidence , yj . ^^ .,^^,. ..... ^^ .^^^y ^, ;^ 65 

To Be or Not to Be " 71 

A Touch of Nature . . . .... ^r*prm^i? znr} ^x> ^^ -^if s -j^.u' :..>;3§ 

Blotted « 79 

A Bit of Strategy ; . ik^ b. i^^^-i^ *^j > 88 

Unintentional Guilt " 87 

Tit for Tat ..... JH . 71^. ,^U^^^'L Mh f^, Ji^^MH . Of^ ^^m 

Silent Night " 97 

Doubt " 103 

A Trick of Memory " 107 

Budding Knighthood " 110 

Safety First " 114 

Penny Lunch " 118 

A Stitch in Time " 121 



PREFACE 

The author has long felt that there existed the need 
for a book of stories that would aid in class-room disci- 
pline, and would in addition strengthen the pupil's re- 
gard for his teacher. These stories are the result. 

With morals that are not too deeply hidden nor 
preponderant, the stories deal with such matters as 
truancy, lateness, smoking, chewing, clean desks, clean 
floors, honesty, courtesy, loyalty, accuracy, etc. 

The author has personally experienced many of the 
episodes that are told and he feels that most of them 
enter into the life of the average American youth. Be- 
cause they do represent real life he hopes that they 
will do justice to the purpose for which they were 
written. 

M. G. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



PAPER, PAPER, EVERYWHERE 
A hard day*s work was over. Especially on that 
night did Henry want to rest, and particularly on that 
evening did he wish to be in bed. And, of course, to 
bed he went. It was a cold night, but the covers 
seemed warmer than usual. Accordingly, with a pleas- 
ant thought, and a lazily uttered prayer, he fell into a 
deep slumber. How long he slept before he began to 
dream, no one knows. 

It was in school. Henry's eyes were dazed as the 
glaring sun shone gloriously through the windows upon 
him. Everything was as usual. The boys and girls 
were working at their studies. Mr. Colgan was at his 
desk, evidently quite busy with some work. Henry 
was not certain what he himself was doing. However, 
he did know that he was working, and working hard. 

Presently he dropped his pencil. He stooped to pick 
it up. As he did so, he noticed a piece of paper beside 
his shoe. At any other time he would have removed 
it without thought, because he was very particular 
about such matters and regarded the floor in the 
vicinity of his desk as his parlor. Never was anything 
permitted to interfere with the cleanliness of that 
parlor. 

However, at this particular time, Henry did not re- 
move the paper. He didn't know why. There was a 
certain something within him that told him not 
to. He picked the pencil up from the floor, left the 
paper where it was, and resumed his work. But work 
he could not. The same something that told him to 
leave the paper on the floor kept urging him to look 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



at it again. Unable to continue with his work, he 
stopped and glanced once more at the floor. 

Lo ! In place of one piece of paper there were two. 
At the sight of this Henry's better nature asserted 
itself, and he stooped to pick them up. But the same 
mysterious influence that made him hesitate but the 
moment before, stopped him now. Try as he would, he 
could not reach for the paper. His arm seemed muscle- 
bound. 

When he looked at the two pieces of paper again 
they were gone. He felt relieved, but could not under- 
stand their disappearance. The thought made him look 
again at the floor. As he did so, his eyes opened wide. 
The entire floor was littered with paper. Big pieces, 
little pieces, yellow pieces, white pieces, used pieces, 
unused pieces, pieces neatly cut and pieces roughly 
torn. 

The amazed boy looked on, thunderstruck. What 
seemed to him as particularly strange was the fact that 
the rest of the class seemed either unaware of or uncon- 
cerned in what was happening below the desk-tops. 
They went steadily on with their lessons. 

His glaring eyes began to twitch nervously. The 
papers steadily increased in number until they were 
now to the shoe-tops and spread over all the floor from 
one wall to the other. 

Without thinking, Harry gave the papers a slight 
kick. As he did so a remarkable thing happened, which 
made his eyes open still wider. The papers rose in 
height till they touched his knees. The poor boy would 
have shrieked, but even his voice was stilled by some 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



strange influence. He tried to inform Mr. Colgan of 
what was happening, for although the papers were now 
up to the very knees of all, none seemed to pay any 
attention to them. In fact, they did not appear to be 
aware of them at all. 

The dumbfounded boy made an eifort to stand, in- 
tending to rise from his seat, but in vain. He was 
glued to his desk. He did manage to move slightly, 
however, and as he did so, the papers suddenly rose 
to the height of his head, covering his arms and shoul- 
ders, and permitting only his head to be seen. Likewise 
were the bodies of all his class-mates covered, but they 
paid no attention to the unexplainable occurrence, and 
even Mr. Colgan went steadily about his work. 

What Henry endured at that moment can scarcely 
be imagined. 

The papers slowly increased in height. There were 
millions upon millions of them. 

One upon the other, seemingly, coming from no- 
where, they gradually covered the boy's mouth. Even 
if the powers of speech could have been restored to 
him at this point the stricken boy would not have been 
heard. Even now he was gasping for breath. 

The papers slowly increased in height. 

They were now up to his eyes. In a few moments 
he would be unable to see any more. And then what ? 
The thought made him shudder. 

Slowly, very slowly, the papers grew upon him. 

They covered his eyes. He could see no more. 
Everything was darkness. 

In another moment he was awakened by the voice 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



of his mother. She was urging him to hurry and pre- 
pare himself for school. 

Before long he was at his desk, the desk that had 
tormented him in slumber. Every few minutes he 
glanced at the floor to see if paper was there. His floor 
was clean. However, he looked again and again. He 
would make certain. But each time he satisfied him- 
self that all was well. 

One time, however, there was a piece of paper by 
his shoe. From somewhere it had come. A peculiar 
feeling grew over the lad. He stooped to pick the 
paper up, praying that nothing would prevent him 
this time. Nothing stopped him. Satisfied, he con- 
tinued with his work. 

A few minutes later, Mr. Colgan, as was his cus- 
tom, arose from his seat and carefully looked down 
every aisle to see if the floors were clear of paper. 

Fearing to look at his own floor again, Henry 
watched the eyes of his teacher carefully as they moved 
to the region of his desk. He saw them turn from his 
aisle and into the next. 

He smiled joyfully to himself. His floor was clean. 
He knew it and he was not dreaming. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



SHADOWS OF THE DAY 

One afternoon Henry's friend, Harry, decided not to 
attend school, but, instead, to go to the movies. Let 
us follow him as he leaves his house. Not far from the 
steps of his home he encounters Henry and unfolds 
his plan to him, endeavoring to induce him to go v^ath 
him, but Henry stubbornly refuses and proceeds to 
school. 

Harry is then seen to go up a side street, which 
leads in an indirect way to the picture theatre. Pres- 
ently he remembers that its doors do not open until 
two o'clock and since it is now but fifteen minutes past 
one he decides to walk the streets until that time. 

He has not walked more than a half -hour whan his 
steps are suddenly halted. He has seen the truant 
officer coming directly towards him. Harry reverses 
his steps and is seen to vanish into a side street. From 
a niche in a building he waits until he sees the dreaded 
officer pass by. 

This accomplished, he comes from his vantage place 
and returns in the direction he had started when inter- 
rupted by the officer. In a few moments he is again 
brought to an abrupt halt. This time it is his aunt that 
he observes approaching him. She is close upon him. 
Fortunately he has seen her before she has noticed 
him. Harry glances hastily about him. There is no 
place to run. Suddenly a thought strikes him. A cigar 
store is close by. He knows the store well, and that 
the man within sells nothing but tobacco. In another 
moment the door is opened by the boy and he enters, 
closing the door behind him. He asks the man if 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



he sells candy, turning at the same time to glance 
through the window. His aunt passes by as the mer- 
chant answers that he sells only tobacco. 

Harry thanks the man, and slowly walks from the 
store. His aunt is a safe distance past him. Relieved, 
he resumes his walk. It is five minutes to two. He 
hesitates for a moment undecided whether to go to 
the theatre and wait there until the doors are opened 
or continue walking. He realizes that there is danger 
of being seen, either by his mother, or the principal, or, 
perhaps, the truant officer, if he should continue to walk 
the streets. 

He decides that it would be less risky to go to the 
theatre and wait there, but as he approaches he sees 
a policeman talking to a man in front of the doors. 
His presence scares him. He turns about and walks 
hastily around the corner. The officer is soon gone. 

It is now two o'clock. The doors open, and Harry, 
wishing not to be seen by anyone, hastily pays his ad- 
mission fee and enters. 

Soon the performance starts, and as the picture 
flashes upon the screen a dreadful awakening comes 
upon the boy. In his haste to enter the theatre he had 
failed to observe the name of the picture to be shown. 
It happened that he had seen that very same picture 
at a different theatre but the week previous. At that 
time he had remained to see the picture twice. Then 
it was pleasure. But to be compelled to see it a third 
time was pain. 

However, he had no other course but to remain 
and see the picture a third time. It was entirely 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



too late to return to school, and he did not relish the 
idea of walking the streets for an hour and a half. That 
was entirely out of the question, especially when he 
remembered the but too recent narrow escapes he had 
had. So he keeps to his seat and tries to interest him- 
self in the picture. 

Meantime, let us see what is happening in school. 
From half past one until a quarter past two Mr. Col- 
gan reads a story to the class. From two-fifteen until 
two-thirty a new song is taught. From two-thirty 
until two-forty-five the boys and girls play a game 
in the school yard, and from that time until the close 
of the school session a man from the Society for the 
Prevention of Tuberculosis presents them with a genu- 
ine treat; real motion pictures. 

There are two pictures in all. One reveals a story 
of two boys; one healthy and strong, made so by 
proper exercise, sound, wholesome food, plenty of fresh 
air and of sleep, and by habits of cleanliness. The other 
boy, sickly and diseased, unable to work, his presence 
dreaded by other people, is finally taken to a place in 
the country. There he passes away. The other boy 
lives to be happy and enjoys living. He is very suc- 
cessful in life. He possesses a palatial home, and has 
a splendid wife, and healthy little ones, all his own. 

The other picture is a very humorous one. It 
depicts the story of a germ named "Mike Robe." It 
contains so much comedy that the boys and girls enjoy 
themselves heartily. 



8 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

The pictures are over, the school is dimissed and the 
happy boys and girls begin to return to their homes. 
At about the same time, the theatre in which Harry 
has been sitting, waiting for the time to pass, also is 
soon emptied of its audience, and Harry proceeds 
homeward. On his way home he again encounters 
Henry. 

The latter reveals to him what has happened in 
school that afternoon. As he does so Harry pictures 
in his mind v/hat has happened to him. In addition, 
Henry tells him that Mr. Colgan has sent a boy with a 
note to Harry's mother asking the reason for his ab- 
sence. 

Harry looks sorrowfully into the eyes of Henry and 
says nothing. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



FORBIDDEN FRUIT 

Henry possessed a big, shiny, red apple. It was 
the kind that made the person who viewed it, vision 
rolling meadows of green grass; of waving, golden 
wheat fields, checkered here and there with glorious 
trees ; big, sweet, luscious, mouth-watering fruit hang- 
ing from their branches. Such was the apple which 
reposed in Henry's desk. 

Whenever Mr. Colgan would direct his attention 
from the class to the blackboard, Henry would slyiy, 
carefully, and noiselessly advance the apple from its 
concealed retreat between the books in his desk and 
gaze admiringly at the fruit. Then, of a sudden, his 
teacher would turn sharply about, and speedily the 
guiltless fruit would return to its hidden haven. 

When Mr. Colgan would again turn, the temptation 
would return to the boy. Though he meant to be hon- 
est, and though he had no desire to spy on his teacher, 
but really wished to pay attention to the lesson, he 
had lost control of his better self, and bent his head 
under the desk-top as if searching for something. 

The apple was brought forward ; teeth touched, and 
a part of the fruit lodged itself within the mouth of 
the boy, Henry. He blushed when, upon raising his 
head, he beheld his teacher eyeing him suspiciously. 

Instinctively he stopped chewing, and, although the 
chunk of apple was larger than he had intended it to 
be, he had so managed his tongue and the hollow of his 
mouth that it was not detectable. 

To Henry's immense relief Mr. Colgan turned again 
to the board, whereupon Henry began to chew for all 



10 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



he was worth. Then something happened. Mr. Col- 
gan turned abruptly about and asked a question. Henry- 
did not hear what he asked, but he knew that he had 
asked a question. Then, as fate would have it, the 
teacher's eyes lighted on him and he spoke softly: 

"Henry!" 

The poor boy's heart sank. Not only did he not 
know what his teacher had asked, but his mouth was 
clogged with apple and he could not speak. The situa- 
tion was desperate. He swallowed the fruit hastily. 

He rose from his seat and stood gazing silently, nerv- 
ously, guiltily, first at the floor, and then at the ceil- 
ing, endeavoring, apparently, to find the answer written 
in some mysterious manner thereon. Then hands went 
into the air: the children knew that Henry didn't know, 
and he felt somewhat relieved.. 

The teacher called on another pupil and Henry sat 
down. 

Soon the lesson was ended. Mr. Colgan began to 
speak. 

"1 am going to make a few changes in the seating 
arrangement." 

He then proceeded to change some of the children's 
seats, and as he did so, Henry prayed, and wished, and 
hoped. 

''Henry, you will bring your books and take the seat 
there, in front of my desk." 

The dazed boy looked at his teacher. It seemed as 
if the whole world from Pekin to Chicago and from Ice- 
land to the Antarctic had gone against him, for between 
his books was the telltale apple. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 11 

*Tlease make haste," Mr. Colgan said presently, and 
Henry began to remove his books and belongings more 
rapidly. 

While doing so an idea struck him. He would leave 
the apple behind. In a moment his plan was carried out. 
In another moment he was in his new quarters. He was 
satisfied and relieved. He started to place his books 
in his new desk, when he heard a boy speak to his 
teacher. 

"Mr. Colgan, here is an apple I found under my 
desk." 

Mr. Colgan looked at the apple, and then at Henry. 
The latter's face turned red as the fruit, which the 
boy held high in the air. 

"Take your apple, Henry," the teacher said, "only 
next time do not be so selfish. Treat the other boys 
and girls, and please do not forget me." 

Mr. Colgan smiled. Henry did not. 



12 IN SCHOOL A ND OUT 

CRIMINAL NEGLECT 

Henry's aunt had promised to buy him a new sled 
if on his monthly report he received a satisfactory 
mark. Henry determined straightway to win that sled. 
He resolved that come what might, he would study and 
study hard, and so all through the month he kept faith- 
fully to his determination, and Mr. Colgan was im- 
pressed. This Henry did not know, and not knowing it, 
he was a trifle worried, and resolved further not to let 
up in his work. 

One day near the close of the month, Mr. Colgan 
was giving the class a lesson in Penmanship. He gave 
careful instructions about the position of the body, the 
manner of holding the pen, the proper slant to use, 
and he also stressed the point that it was arm, and 
not finger motion, that was most beneficial. 

Henry tried his best. He began his writing. He ob- 
served everything; pen, paper, position, and the push 
and pull movement of the arm. He was confident that 
everything was excellent. He glanced at his paper, and 
not satisfied with this examination, he held it at arm's 
length before him. He was now more than satisfied. 
He was proud of his work. 

It was at this point that Mr. Colgan began to make 
the rounds. He passed down one aisle and up the next, 
critically examining every paper and making helpful re- 
marks whenever they were necessary. Henry's heart 
beat a trifle faster. His teacher was approaching him. 
He was hungry for praise and he felt that he merited it. 

In a moment the teacher was at his side. Henry 
lowered his eyes and looked at his paper. His teacher 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 13 



did likewise. Perhaps Henry was too shy to look at 
his teacher. He alone knows. At any rate, he was sud- 
denly startled by a gentle tap, an almost imperceptible 
touch on his shoulder. Nervously he looked up. In 
another moment his hopes drooped and visions of a sled 
disappeared. 

His teacher had anything but a look of approbation 
on his face. 

"Henry," spoke Mr. Colgan gently, "come with me, 
please." 

Henry followed him into the hall and here Mr. Col- 
gan spoke. 

"Did you wash your hands today?" 

The boy's face blushed with shame. Without look- 
ing he knew that his hands were frightfully dirty, and 
he also knew that his teacher was an avowed enemy of 
dirt. Moreover, at this moment the thought came to 
the boy that Carrie, whom he adored, would probably 
hear of his neglect, and he feared to consider what she 
would think about it. 

"Yes, Mr. Colgan, I washed them before I left 
home," Henry repHed in a soft trembhng voice. 

'But they are dirty." 

1 fell down." 

'Henry, look at me." 

Teacher looked at pupil and pupil looked at teacher. 

"Henry, there is a story told of a man who was once 
arrested for a petty offense. Because he was married 
and was the support of a large family, the judge felt 
sorry for him and let him go free. He discharged the 
man with these words, 'Not guilty, but don't let it hap- 



"] 
"] 



14 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

pen again/ '' 

Henry lowered his head, but Mr. Colgan lifted it 
by putting his forefinger under the boy's chin. 

''Henry, do you understand what I mean?'' Mr. Col- 
gan's voice was kind and fatherly. 

"Yes, Mr. Colgan." 

'Then go to your seat — your penmanship today is 
excellent. Your work this month has been very satis- 
factory." 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 15 



LOST AND FOUND 
Henry had never been fortunate when it came to 
finding things. True, he did find a pencil or an eraser 
now and then, but never anything of very real value. 
On one occasion he was even so unfortunate as to be 
walking just aside of Harry and watch him pick up 
from the ground a crisp dollar bill. 

The thought of how unlucky he was often came 
to him and at times made him moody. He seemed to 
think on these occasions that he had been born under 
an unlucky star. On a certain day, however, his for- 
tune changed. On his way to school he accidentally 
kicked something on the sidewalk. The object rang 
sharply. He halted his steps and searched the pave- 
ment. Presently he saw what he was looking for. It 
glistened like gold. He picked it up. It was a ring, 
evidently a new one. 

Henry was thrilled when he looked at it. He tried 
it on each finger. It just fit the third. The thought 
suddenly struck him that the person who lost the ring 
might, perhaps, be looking for it, so he put it into his 
pocket hastily, and hurried to school. 

He walked a square and then removed it from his 
pocket to glance at it once more. He continued walk- 
ing and a moment later looked at it again. Then he 
quickened his step. 

How many times he looked at his newly found pos- 
session, neither Henry nor anyone else knows. It is 
enough to say that at every opportunity his eyes went 
from his teacher or the blackboard to the ring. There 
was a new feeling of joy and success in his heart. His 



16 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



was a real triumph. 

About eleven o'clock Mr. Colgan read a story to the 
class. In the beginning Henry's interest was divided 
between the ring and the story, but as Mr. Colgan grad- 
ually unfolded the narrative, Henry opened his eyes a 
trifle wider, and soon was hstening attentively. The 
story was about a little girl and a doll. It read as 
follows at the point that Henry really began to be inter- 
ested : 

"The door opened again in a moment and the man 
entered. He carried in his arms the beautiful doll 
which we have mentioned and set it upright in front of 
Cosette, saying, 'Here, Cosette, this is for you.' 

"Cosette raised her eyes: she gazed at the man as 
she might have gazed at'the sun ; she stared at the doll ; 
then slowly she crawled under the table and hid herself 
in a corner of the wall. 

"She no longer cried; she had the appearance of 
no longer daring to breathe. 

"Cosette gazed at the beautiful doll. Her face was 
^till wet with tears, but she smiled beautifully. What 
she felt at that moment was a little like what she would 
have felt had she been told, 'Little one, you are Queen 
of France.' 

"Then Cosette went up to the landlady timidly and 
said, 'May I really have it ?' 

" It is yours,' said the landlady, 'the gentleman has 
given it to you.' 

" 'Truly, sir?' said Cosette. Ts it true? Is the lady 
really mine?' 

"The stranger's eyes filled with tears. He nodded 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT ' 17 



to Cosette, and placed the lady's hand in her tiny hand. 

"In a moment Cosette's rags met and clasped the 
ribbons and fresh pink dress of the doll. 1 shall call 
her Catherine/ she said. 

"Cosette placed Catherine on a chair, then seated 
herself on the floor in front of her. She did not move, 
but sat there and gazed at her beautful doll. 

" Tlay, Cosette,' said the stranger. 

" *0h, I am playing !' replied the child, without even 
turning her head for an instant. 

"Soon the landlady turned to the stranger. *I shall 
send Cosette to bed,' she said. The poor child has 
worked all day.' 

"Cosette went off to bed carrying Catherine in her 
arms. 

"After the house was quiet, the stranger passed 
through the hall, as if looking for something. Under 
the staircase, in the midst of all sorts of old paper, 
dust and spider's webs, was a bed. The old straw 
mattress, full of holes, lay on the floor, and there were 
neither pillows nor sheets. In this bed Cosette was 
sleeping. 

"The man gazed down at her. 

"She was sleeping soundly; she was dressed. 
Against her breast she held the doll, whose large blue 
eyes shone in the darkness."* 

This was not the end of the story, but Henry had 
heard enough to make him feel very, very sorry for 
Cosette, and then a strange thought struck him and 



* 



Adaptation from Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables." 



18 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

began to torment him. Might not the doll just as well 
have been a ring, and might not just such a girl as 
Cosette have lost it ? 

The thought plainly worried him and made him 
increasingly uneasy. He could bear it no longer. He 
removed the ring from his finger, and as soon as the 
morning session was ended he took the ring to the 
school office, and told them how it had come in his 
possession. 

He was more glad than he was sad, but he was 
both. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 19 



MINGLED FEELINGS 
On the morrow Henry had to recite. This he had 
to do before the assembled children of all the classes. 
It was his first time. The newness of the task made 
him feel uncertain as to how he ought to feel. At one 
time he thrilled at the thought of having the atten- 
tion of all the children directed upon him. He enjoyed 
the prospect of having Carrie's two eyes gaze in ad- 
miration upon him. 

Then all would grow dark. The light of joy in his 
eye would be quenched and gloom would grow slowly 
but steadily and certainly and more strongly in its 
place. A big, heavy, dark cloud would hover over his 
head and prevent the sunlight from entering and cheer- 
ing him. For he would vision himself alone, and very, 
very nervous ; perhaps stuttering, and then — then what 
was to prevent him from forgetting his poem or a part 
of it ? The idea grew upon him and sickened him. 

The suggestion came to his mind that he might 
even attempt to avoid the ordeal by absenting himself 
from school on the morrow. But, on second thought, 
he realized that this would not do, because his teacher 
and his schoolmates would understand. The boys and 
girls would most certainly mock him on his return and 
say that he was afraid. Besides, he realized that he 
would only be delaying what he inevitably must do. He 
concluded that it was wisest to try to do his assign- 
ment without delay and manfully. 

Accordingly, all that afternoon and evening, silently 
and aloud, he repeated to himself what he was to say 
in assembly. He meant to make certain that he would 



20 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



know his poem so well that his memory would not fail 
him. That night he even dreamed about his speech. 

The morning came. He awoke earlier than usual. 
His sleep during the night had not been a sound one. 
He awoke occasionally, due to pressure of dismal 
thoughts, and gazed through the darkness and then 
fell to slumber again. But now that he was definitely 
awake he had a peculiar feeling of mingled joy and pain. 

In a short time he was on his way to school. If 
one would have observed him carefully he would have 
noticed that he wore his best suit, his choice tie, and 
his new shoes. Also, if one could have examined the 
feeling in the region of the boy's heart, he would have 
found that it was now a very peculiar, gnawing, empty- 
like, appetiteless feeling. Henry tried to overcome it, 
but in vain. 

In school the classes soon assembled. The Bible 
was read. A song was sung. All was ready. Henry 
sat uneasy in his seat, for the time had arrived for 
him to speak and he could see his teacher looking at 
him. 

Of a sudden, a door to the assembly room opened 
and there entered a stranger, accompanied by the prin- 
cipal. The visitor was an elderly lady. She was pres- 
ently introduced as the representative of the Society 
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. In a moment 
she was addressing the boys and girls. 

She spoke interestingly, and did not cease until one- 
half hour had elapsed. Then, while all listened atten- 
tively, she bade farewell to the youngsters, and left the 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 21 



room smiling. 

The suspense that Henry endured during her talk 
can scarcely be imagined. It is doubtful whether 
much of what the lady said came to his ears save 
as mingled sounds on a troubled mind. The half- 
hour that she had spoken seemed to him like two. And, 
now, strange to say, he wanted to recite his poem. 

He was growing confident that he would do it well, and 
he wanted to get it over with. His only worry at this 
point was that, perhaps, there would now not be time 
for his poem. He waited anxiously for a motion from 
his teacher bidding him to rise. His heart was beating 
wildly. 

Mr. Colgan did not call on him. The assembly was 
already too lengthy. A chord was struck on the piano, 
a march was played, and the children returned to 
their class-rooms. 

Strange to say, Henry was deeply disappointed. 



22 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



THE WET BLANKET 

Henry was on his way to school. The sun, which 
hitherto had been bright and warm, dimmed slowly and 
then disappeared from sight. Henry looked at the 
heavens. A heavy, dark cloud was approaching rapidly. 
The wind, until now scarcely noticeable, presently 
increased until it seemed furious. Then the heavens 
broke. 

To Henry it seemed as if the end of the world had 
come. Before he could even think of running for 
shelter, he was dripping, soaking wet. Streams of 
water trickled from his cap down his face. His cloth- 
ing was drenched. Then it was that Henry thought 
of shelter. 

He looked around. There was none close at hand. 
However, a half -block down the street in the direction 
of the school was an awning. In another moment he 
was running with all his might for it. 

As he ran, lightning crackled across the heavens and 
the sky seemed to be rendered apart. Streaks of light- 
ning seemed to split the heavens, temporarily revealing 
glimpses of the great beyond — the great mystery of 
which so many people dream and think. 

A few seconds later a loud crash of thunder brought 
the chill of fear into the boy's heart. 

Nature's frolic did not last. The storm soon de- 
parted. In another moment the heavens were calm — 
the sun reappeared and everything was as before. That 
is, except Henry ; he was dripping wet. 

This fact did not deter him, however. On to school 
he went. Part of his class was already seated when he 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 23 

arrived at his room. In a few moments Mr. Colgan 
looked at him and observed that his clothing was wet, 
especially his shoes. 

"Henry," he said, "you are very wet. You had bet- 
ter go home and change your clothing or you will catch 
a cold." 

"Yes, Mr. Colgan," replied Henry. 

He took his books, copied the lessons for the next 
day, bade good-bye to his teacher and left. 

In the school yard Henry met his friend Harry. 
They exchanged words. 

"Where are you going ?" asked Harry, his curiosity 
aroused. 

"Home!" replied Henry. 

"Home ?" asked Harry in surprise as his eyes opened 
wide. 

Henry told him what had happened. 

Neither of the boys knew that at that very moment 
Mr. Colgan had accidentally passed by the window and 
had noticed the two boys conversing and was watching 
their movements. 

Presently he saw both boys walk to the pavement. 
Henry stopped while Harry walked to the gutter, where 
there was a large pool of water caused by the recent 
downpour. He walked right into the pool, drenching 
his feet. Then Mr. Colgan saw Henry leave his friend 
and walk away, while Harry again entered the school 
yard. 

Mr. Colgan left his position at the window. 
In another moment, Harry, his shoes and stockings 
soaked, walked slowly into the class-room. 



24 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

Mr. Colgan appeared not to notice him. When Harry 
came from the dressing room, instead of walking to 
the back of the room, as was customary, he came to 
the front of the room and walked slowly down the aisle 
in order that Mr. Colgan might see him and the condi- 
tion of his shoes. 

"Harry,'' said Mr. Colgan presently, "you are 
drenched.*' 

Harry looked innocently at his shoes. They were 
so that the soles of the boy's shoes felt like sponges. 

"Harry, you had better go home," continued the 
teacher. 

Harry smiled victoriously to himself. But his joy 
was short-lived. 

"And, Harry. Just as soon as you have changed 
your shoes and stockings, return to class. And please 
do not be too long in making the change." 

Harry did not say a word. He walked from the 
room, apparently buried in deep thought. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT " 25 



THE GIFT OF GUM 

There was an epidemic of gum-chewing in school, 
and Mr. Colgan had gently warned his class not to 
bring any of the gum into the class-room. He explained 
why gum-chewing was anything but a good habit. He 
pointed how it causes the saliva to flow unnecessarily, 
thus hindering the process of digestion. 

Despite the talk, one morning shortly after, Henry 
forgot and purchased a piece of gum. Later he re- 
membered Mr. Colgan's advice and was on the point 
of throwing it away when the thought came to him 
that he might continue to chew the gum until he ap- 
proached the school and then dispose of it. 

When Henry arrived near the school he met his 
friend Harry, and they began to talk, and their conver- 
sation was so interesting that before they were aware 
of it the yard bell had sounded and the two boys were 
in line. 

Then Henry remembered the gum. 

What was he to do? Throw it away he could not, be- 
cause the teachers in charge of the lines were watchful 
and might see. He couldn't very well put it into his 
pocket, because the very nature of gum made that plan 
very undesirable. 

Presently a new thought came to him. He would 
paste it under his desk when he reached his seat — but 
no. On second consideration, that wouldn't do. The 
janitor, while cleaning, would see it and report the mat- 
ter to Mr. Colgan. A new idea dawned upon him. He 
would remove the gum from his mouth, wrap it in a 
piece of paper and ask leave of Mr. Colgan to throw it 



26 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

in the waste basket. The more that he thought of 
this plan the more it appealed to him. He resolved to 
put it into execution. 

When he came to his seat he reached below his desk 
to remove a piece of paper from his tablet. While he 
was doing this he unknowingly began to chew the trou- 
blesome gum that was still in his mouth. Mr. Colgan 
happened to be in a position to see him and his tell- 
tale jaws. 

"Henry ! What have you in your mouth ?" 
These words stunned the boy and he could do noth- 
ing but straighten his body and reply. He answered 
meekly and nervously. 

"I am chewing gum, Mr. Colgan." 

He expected his teacher the next moment to bring 
the heavens down upon him, but evidently Mr. Colgan 
did not see fit to take that course. 

"Henry, I advised you recently," he began, "about 
the harmful effects of gum-chewing. Apparently you 
have refused to heed my advice. All right. Before I 
say anything further, please put the gum into the 
basket." 

Henry advanced to the waste-basket. The eyes of 
Mr. Colgan and of the class followed him intently, and 
after the peculiar rap of the gum against the papers in 
the basket was heard they watched him take his seat. 
Then Mr. Colgan resumed. 

"Henry, since you have refused to follow my advice 
I shall be compelled to take means to stop gum-chewing 
by other methods. The next person who chews or eats 
in this class-room is permitted to do so only on the con- 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 27 



dition that he treat each and every pupil with an equal 
share of what he has. Is that clear?" 

Henry replied in the affirmative and every pupil in 
the class understood the words of his teacher. There- 
upon the work of the class was resumed and the inci- 
dent soon forgotten. 

That afternoon, to the consternation of all the boys 
and girls, Henry walked to his seat chewing gum openly 
and unconcernedly. It didn't take Mr. Colgan long to 
see and for a moment he grew very angry. The work 
of the class halted as soon as it began. Momentarily 
the teacher seemed at a loss as to what to do. It was 
very evident that his anger was increasing. 

Henry saw what was happening in his teacher's 
mind and decided that his time had come. With the 
eyes of all upon him he slowly removed from his pocket 
about forty pieces of gum. Immediately the expression 
on Mr. Colgan's face changed, and both he and the 
class began to smile as they gradually realized what 
had happened. Mr. Colgan's words of the morning were 
recalled. 

"The next person who chews or eats in this class- 
room is permitted to do so only on the condition that 
he treat each and every pupil with an equal share of 
what he has." 

Mr. Colgan interrupted the peculiar situation by 
speaking to Henry. 

*1 understand, Henry. You may give a piece of the 
gum to each boy and girl." 

Henry rose from his seat and proudly distributed 
the gum. When he finished he sat down and with 



28 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

the feeling of one who has triumphed, resumed the 
chewing of the gum. 

The boys and girls in the meantime began to unv/rap 
their share preparatory to chewing it, but Mr. Colgan 
interrupted their doings. 

"Just one moment. The only person permitted to 
chew gum is Henry, since he has treated all. In order 
for anyone else to chew he also must treat all accord- 
ing to the condition I expressed this morning." 

The surprised pupils realized that Mr. Colgan was 
right. 

"And, besides," Mr. Colgan resumed, "from my talk 
to you about gum-chewing, you should, for your own 
sakes, have no desire to continue that harmful habit. 
If you indeed intend to stop the practice, why not start 
now? Come, let me see what you boys and girls are 
really made of. Here is the waste-basket. You are 
free to use it." 

The class understood, and, one by one, each pupil 
advanced and deposited the gum in the basket as the 
disappointed Henry looked on. When the whole class 
had disposed of the gum there was little left for Henry 
to do but imitate them. He removed the gum from his 
mouth and deposited it into the waste-basket. When 
he returned to his seat Mr. Colgan smiled pleasantly to 
his class. They returned the smile. Then Mr. Colgan 
smiled to Henry. 

In another moment the class was busily at work. 
Henry was absorbed in a maze of conflicting 
thoughts and feelings. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 29 

THE FALLEN CONQUEROR 
Henry and Harry were good friends. They had 
known each other since the time they had entered 
the first grade. Like brothers, they were ever together. 
They were genuine pals. 

The time during which this story treats was that 
changing period between Winter and Spring; the time 
when people look forward to putting away their heavy 
top coats, and when one visions green grass and leafing 
trees and growing blossoms. 

Then the heart leaps with thrills of ecstacy. One 
feels for action, for fun, for play, for the grand open 
air under the warm vaulted sky and the cheer of the 
sun. And when after a severe winter such a day comes, 
a forerunner of the real spring — one almost bursts with 
love for the open and Mother Nature. 

Therefore, when recess came on a certain day in 
March, Henry and Harry, overbubbling with spring 
fever, began to box playfully in the school yard. Mean- 
while, a group of fellow schoolmates gathered around 
the boys to watch the interesting sparring. 

It was all in fun. From the midst of faces encir- 
cling the two contestants could be seen the eyes of 
Carrie, looking admiringly on, and these Henry saw. 
The net result was a harder punch than usual on Harry. 
Harry, not to be outdaunted or outpointed, returned one 
just as severe. 

Henry looked and observed that Carrie was laugh- 
ing. She appeared to be enjoying the fight. All the 
pride of his ancestors, of the days of the knights of 
yore, awakened in him. The result was a still harder 



30 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



blow on Harry. 

This angered Harry, especially after the effects of 
the blow began to be felt. Tightening his fists he let 
loose a terrific thrust at his chum. The latter brushed 
it aside by jumping from the path of the oncoming 
blow. Henry was now angry. The fight had become an 
earnest one. 

Henry aimed a punch at his foe's face. Harry held 
his hand to his eye. He had had enough. He could 
feel his eye swelling. The fight ceased, but only be- 
cause Harry refused to fight on. He was angry, very 
angry at his best friend. 

They separated, but the screamirg throngs of boys 
and girls urged them on. And while Henry was gazing 
admiringly at Carrie, the crowd was suddenly seen to 
part, and Mr. Adel, the principal, came forward. With- 
out a word he beckoned to the two boys to come with 
him. Without delay they followed him to his office. 

After a few questions he led Harry to his inner 
ofl[ice and told Henry to wait outside. Henry did so. 
He listened impatiently for sounds of voices in the 
adjoining room. In a few moments he heard his chum 
crying. 

Henry's spirits failed him. He knew that it was 
his turn shortly to be reprimanded and the thought 
worried him. He wished the whole affair had never 
occurred. He wished that it were all a dream, but, 
knowing that it was not, he hoped that he could dis- 
appear somehow into the thin air and fly to China or 
India, any place but the one where he now was. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 31 

But all in vain. The door opened. Harry, head 
lowered, walked slowly out, and Henry, sighing, walked 
in. Both were sorry boys and sympathized each with 
the other. 



32 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



THE EARLY LATE-COMER 

The cases of lateness in Mr. Colgan's class were 
very, very few and very, very far between. For the 
past few years Mr. Colgan's class had led the school 
in so far as the punctuality record was concerned. 
Never had there been more than two pupils late in any 
one month, and rarely more than one. 

This was because the boys and girls of the class 
were resolved that the punctuality record was one of 
which to be proud, and they meant to do nothing to 
spoil that record. In fact, the boys and girls looked 
down upon lateness as something almost, if not quite 
entirely, unnecessary. 

Excuses such as, ''Had to go an errand," "The clock 
was wrong," and 'T didn't know that it was late" were 
laughed at, especially when they remembered the ex- 
ample set by their teacher, who lived in a distant sec- 
tion of the city and who had to take three cars in order 
to reach the school. Yet he was in school long before 
the class arrived. 

Moreover, when the pupils considered that they 

themselves Hved not more than ten minutes' walk at 
the most from the school, it was evident why they were 
exceedingly jealous of their attendance and promptness 
records. 

Now Henry had never before been late. His record 
was one to be envied, excepting the one occasion when 
he had played truant. Yet on the morning of his birth- 
day, as he hurried to school with his books over his 
shoulder, he was struck by the absence of the line of 
boys and girls on their way to school that he usually 



^ IN SCHOOL AND OUT 33 

encountered in the morning. Where was everyone? 

It gradually dawned upon him that he must be l^te^ 
and that all the boys and girls were already in school. 
As the thought grew upon him the more sorry he be- 
came that he had not risen earlier. Yet, somehow, he 
could not understand why he was late. He had 
awakened, eaten and dressed as usual and without de- 
lay. Nevertheless, there was little doubt but that he 
was late. 

He quickened his pace, urged on by what slight 
doubt there was. Perhaps the last bell had not yet 
rung. His pace soon became a trot. In a short time 
he reached the school. He glanced hastily around. The 
outside of the building was deserted. 

It was late, evidently very late. With the positive 
realization came despair. He had spoiled the splendid 
record that had taken so long to build; he had ruined 
the record of the class for the month, and to top the 
whole matter he had no excuse to give to his teacher. 

Nevertheless, he delayed no longer, and clothed in 
a cloud of disappointment and discouragement, he has- 
tened breathlessly up the school stairs and into the 
hallway. 

No one could be seen. Evidently the classes must 
be in the assembly listening to the Bible-reading, for 
everything was so very quiet. At this point, Henry 
began to think what he should say to his teacher. Lie, 
he would not, and the truth would scarcely sound con- 
vincing. Certainly his thoughts were very much con- 
fused. Besides, he was very, very nervous. 

He went to his classroom. As was usual when the 



34 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

class was in the assembly, it was deserted. He walked 
into the dressing room. There he was struck by the 
absence of hats and coats. Not a single article of cloth- 
ing was in its place. He became more confused than 
ever. 

Presently he was startled by sounds of heavy foot- 
steps. They were in the hallway and slowly approach- 
ing the room. In another moment a man entered. 
Henry stared at him. It was the janitor. When he 
saw Henry, his gruff voice thundered, ''What are you 
doing here so early ?" 

For a moment the dazed boy stared at the man. 
Then gradually he realized what had happened. He 
had seen no children on the streets, no cloaks in the 
dressing room, because it was very early and not late. 

"I thought it was late," he answered, trembling, but 
overjoyed. The heavy weight of doubt, anxiety and 
disappointment was being lifted from his heart and 
head. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 35 



THE BELOVED CHEATER 

No one had ever doubted Henry's honesty. More- 
over, he v^as very poHte and gentlemanly in his ways. 
Perhaps the story of the knights of old, which his 
teacher had read to the class in the beginning of the 
term, had something to do with his attitude towards 
others. Perhaps he remembered the lofty ideals which 
the knight held ; how he vowed to be ever truthful ; how 
he promised to protect the weak and defenceless, and 
how he cherished his family ties and revered his friends. 

Perhaps, at times, Henry even visioned himself one 
of these self-same knights, with a coat of mail, and a 
shield with a large family seal painted beautifully in 
front ; with a plumed helmet and a shining sword, and 
a lance, and a prancing steed, and a squire to attend to 
his wants. 

He probably saw himself at the jousts, demonstrat- 
ing his skill in the presence of the king and queen and 
the assembled multitudes of knights and their ladies. 
If he did, he most likely saw himself victorious, with 
his rival thrown from his horse by a blow from his 
lance. Or, perhaps, he saw himself at the tournament, 
where a mimic battle between two rival groups of 
knights was in progress. No doubt, he always saw 
himself strong and fearless, yet courteous and kind. 

If he visioned these things he must also have seen 
a costly prize, a jewel, or a beautiful steed, or a suit of 
armor, or a golden-hilted sword, awarded to him, the 
victor. He must have heard the cheers of the ladies 
and the yells of the knights. 

No doubt the things that he visioned were reflected 



36 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

in his everyday actions. He was chivalrous. He was 
brave and kind and true. 

One day the real test of his character came. It wa« 
during a test in Arithmetic that his class was having. 
Henry was very proficient in his work and especially in 
Arithmetic. Yet Henry was worried. It seems that 
Carrie did not know how to do her problems. This he 
could see from her actions. Henry was very sorry and 
sympathized greatly with her. 

Then a thought flashed through his mind. He would 
do the problems and pass them to her while the teacher 
was not looking. This seemed to him to be the gentle- 
manly thing to do. It seemed the chivalrous thing to 
do. He would help his lady in distress, by fair means, 
if possible, and by foul means, if necessary. He weighed 
the matter carefully and finally concluded that, although 
it was not exactly an honest deed, yet it was better than 
leaving her in distress. 

He scribbled the problems hastily on a piece of 
paper, folded it carefully and, while Mr. Colgan was not 
looking, laid it on Carrie's desk. A feeling of satisfac- 
tion routed the anxiety that was over him. He looked 
triumphantly at Carrie for an expression of apprecia- 
tion. 

But his joy was short-lived. Carrie, astonished be- 
yond all measure, picked the paper up, and when she 
saw what it contained she showed plainly her extreme 
consternation and contempt by slowly tearing the paper 
to bits. 

Henry tried to swallow. It was hard. The ter- 
rible awakening came to him. He realized how dis- 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 37 

honest an act he had done. To add coals to the blazing 
fire within him, he realized that he had earned the con- 
tempt of Carrie. This thought was extremely hard to 
bear. 

He lowered his head and tried to resume his work. 

On the next day came the unkindest cut of all. Mr. 
Colgan read the test marks to the class. Henry's rating 
was 40 and Carrie's was 80. 

Heniy was exceedingly crestfallen on that day. 



38 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

HOMEWORK 

If one could have seen Henry on a certain balmy 
afternoon in May, he would have found him studiously 
prying into several books and magazines, and jotting 
down therefrom the important facts for which he 
searched. And if one could have examined the titles 
of the books and magazines he would have found that 
they dealt with the question of 'Trison Reform." 

This was the subject of the composition that he was 
to write that afternoon and which he had to read on 
the morrow. Henry was very much interested in the 
subject and went about his work most heartily. But 
he soon found it hard to concentrate his thoughts on 
the books. 

From his window he could see his friends enjoying 
themselves in a game of baseball. He heard the rattle 
of speeding skates on the sidewalk below, and the cries 
of laughing children, that seemed ever to sound beauti- 
ful and fairylike and melodious in the thin air, came 
to his ears. They were like the music of the sirens on 
the ears of Ulysses' men. 

Henry, not unlike all boys, was fascinated by the 
great outdoors and looked increasingly from his books 
to the game below. True, he was interested in what he 
was doing, but it was not nearly as attractive as what 
was happening outdoors. Soon a bird alighted on the 
sill of his window. This urged him more than ever to 
drop his books, but with a feeling of determination he 
returned once more to his books and began to search 
anew for telling or striking sentences. 

When he had completed the gathering of these facts 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 39 

it was time for supper. 

While eating, his thoughts were hardly on the food, 
although, to be sure, he gave numerous glances in the 
direction of the apple sauce, and later, when it was 
served, seemed to enjoy it immensely. Yet even the 
sauce was not uppermost in his mind. 

He was thinking of the composition. He had lab- 
ored hard with it and he looked forward to receiving 
praise from Mr. Colgan for the work. 

Supper over, he hastened back to his desk, and re- 
sumed where he had left off. An hour passed. 

Another. 

Henry heard his mother and father discussing how 
hard he was working and trying, and he felt pleased. 
He enjoyed just praise. 

Eight o'clock. Children's voices in the night air 
increased. They were like the sounds one might expect 
to hear in fairyland. The noises of the daytime; 
wagons, carts, trolleys, automobiles, etc., had disap- 
peared almost entirely, and the voices of the children 
became clearer. There were laughing voices; happy 
voices; joyful, playing, carefree voices. They seemed 
to hypnotize Henry and urge him to drop his work and 
come outside to join the throngs of merry youngsters, 
just as the Pied Piper's flute. But Henry had a task to 
accomplish and he kept to it faithfully. Soon his eyes 
grew tired. 

Gradually the sounds outside died away and dis- 
appeared into the thin air. The quiet of late evening 
began to fall. 

Presently Henry gave a sigh of tremendous relief. 



40 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

He had finished. He put his papers and his books to- 
gether carefully and went to bed. He was very glad 
now that he had kept to his task, despite the influences 
that kept urging him to play. He had the feeling of 
having performed a hard work and of having done it 
well. Like a conqueror he felt. He knew that it was 
easier to go outside and play and that it was harder 
to remain indoors and work. He had done the latter 
and was glad. 

He slept comfortably during the night. 

The morning was bright and cheerful. He hurried 
to school. He was happy and tripped along merrily. 
He arrived at school. In a while he and his class were 
busily engaged with their lessons. Time came for the 
geography lesson. Henry removed his book from be- 
neath his desk. It was the book in which he had 
placed his composition. Busied with other work he had 
almost forgotten about the composition, but the big 
geography book soon brought it back to his mind. The 
wish came to him to take one glance at it again. 

He turned the pages of the book. The composition 
was not to be found. Only the rough copy was in the 
book. He had taken that in mistake for the good copy. 
However, he would be certain of his error. He turned 
the pages again and again. He looked through all the 
other books. In vain. The composition was not to be 
found. The feelings that grew over the boy can hardly 
be imagined. There was even the possibility that he 
might have lost it on his way to school. In another 
moment his mind became a blank. He was very con- 
fused. He tried to recall what he had done with it, 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 41 



but was unable to do so. He was sinking, sinking, sink- 
ing, deeper and more speedily with every second into 
the depths of despair. 

What hope was left in him made him search again. 
In vain. Meantime the morning went by. Shortly be- 
fore dismissal he was scheduled to read his composi- 
tion. Composition he had not. True, there was the 
rough copy, but it was unreadable for the reason that 
Henry scribbled over parts of it in revising it. All 
that Henry had was despair, discouragement and dis- 
appointment. 

The English period finally came. Henry was dis- 
mayed. He felt that same gnawing feeling around his 
heart that he had experienced before. Mr. Colgan was 
looking at him and Henry felt certain that only a 
moment of time separated him from the inevitable. 

Then something happened. 

Gong signals sounded. The class suddenly ceased 
what they were doing, straightened grimly, rose quickly 
from their seats and formed into lines. It was the fire 
alarm. Perhaps it was a real fire, perhaps but a drill. 
Neither Mr. Colgan nor the class knew. 

The class marched into the school yard to their 
proper places. They waited there some time before 
they returned to their class. 

When they were seated they did not resume their 
work because it was time for the regular dismissal. 
Henry was saved — for a while, at least. Soon the class 
was dismissed. 

The sorrowing boy returned home. 



42 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

"Henry, did you leave your composition on the desk 
this morning?" 

These were the joyful words that greeted the boy 
on his arrival at home. They were the words of his 
mother. 

Henry, amazed, looked at her. Then he smiled, 
answered "Yes," and kissed her. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 43 



LABOR LOST 

The sound of the jarring of wagon wheels, the honk- 
honk of passing automobiles, the clang-clang of the 
trolley and other kindred noises came to Henry's ears 
as he half opened his eyes. He seemed to be in a sort 
of dream. For the moment he did not know whom or 
where he was. But as he kept staring in the brilliant 
glare of the sunlight around him, the outline of his bed- 
posts gradually came to his eyes, then the walls of his 
room, then the covers of his bed, then himself. 

He knew now that he was Henry and that he was 
lying in bed and that he had better hurry or he would 
be late for school. He reached his arms from beneath 
the covers. They felt the chill of the morning air and 
he immediately put them back. 

Henry lay there as before, thinking what a cruel 
world it was because it was necessary for him to rise 
so early and go to school. He wouldn't mind it so much 
when the weather was warm, but in the winter he 
thought it was very hard to do. 

Moreover, Henry was very tired and still very sleepy, 
and altogether too comfortable to get up and dress in 
that cold room. But it had to be done, and Henry knew 
it. He would not spoil his record for attendance and 
promptness at school because of a matter like that. 
But he did feel that he would like to remain just as 
he was, for, say, fifteen minutes longer. If he could 
only do that he would be content. 

While he was thinking of this the gong of the clock 
downstairs sounded eight times. 

*'Good!" ejaculated Henry. 



44 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

He could remain in bed fifteen minutes longer. It 
was still early. 

He sank his head below the covers and lay there 
with a feeling of triumphal satisfaction. The room 
being chilly, the bed being warm, and Henry, being yet 
tired and drowsy, fell asleep. Naturally he didn't know 
it. For one whole hour he dreamed sweet dreams. 

And then he awoke with a start. The clock was 
gonging nine. For a moment all manner of thoughts 
passed through his mind. Then he came to and realized 
everything. 

With the realization came dismay. He was already 
late for school, and, besides, he had not yet had his 
breakfast and it seemed that the pangs of hunger had 
been awakened with him and had commenced to tor- 
ment him as they never had before. 

In a moment he was up and dressing. A few min- 
utes later he was in the dining-room below. 

There he met his mother. He looked for an ex- 
pression of disapprobation on her face. It was not 
there. Nothing but the customary kindness and love. 

Henry wondered and then wondered again. He 
glanced at the clock. Five minutes past nine. He looked 
again at his mother. She did not seem to think that 
anything was wrong. 

"Henry ! Why don't you eat your breakfast?" 

He looked confusedly at her and took his seat. As 
he did so his eyes fell on the calendar which was upon 
the wall. They opened wide. 

A smile crept slowly over his face. He commenced 
to eat his breakfast slow and heartily. 

It was Saturday. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 45 



THE BLACK SHEEP 

"Just think," said Henry to himself as he romped 
along the sunlit path, stopping now and then to kick a 
dandelion, "all the other boys and girls are in school 
working hard, doing their lessons." 

Presently he interrupted his thoughts and whistled 
a tune. 

"It*s great to be out here. Much better than being 
in school. No books to carry, no lessons to recite, no 
teacher to see that I do my work well. I can talk as 
much as I want. I can sing as much as I wish, and I 
can whistle all day long. I don't have to keep my step 
in line, or tiptoe, or stand up straight." 

At that moment, the sun, which until now had been 
bright and cheerful, gradually darkened, and the boy's 
thoughts changed. The fields, which were but the 
moment before reflecting the sun's joy into the truant's 
eyes, now cast off the gloom of a heavy and dark cloud. 

Presently, however, the sun reappeared and all was 
as before. The boy resumed his whistling. The wind 
strengthened. The sun once again hid its face behind 
a cloud. The boy halted and looked up. 
'Hope it doesn't rain," he said. 
'A drop! Another!" He gasped as he held up the 
palm of his hand. 

"Hope it stops. Hope it does. Hope God stops the 
rain." 

His prayer, however, seemed not to have been heard, 
the drops increased in size and number. The storm had 
come. 

Henry looked for shelter, but none was to be seen. 



"] 



46 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

He had reached that part of the open country where 
one sees nothing but field and meadow, and wheat and 
corn for miles. Not a tree, not an overhanging rock, 
not a barn; nothing save perhaps the useless cross- 
boards of a fence. 

Henry increased his pace; now he ran; stumbled; 
now walked ; now sighed. The poor boy truant was now 
a boy philosopher. 

'To think that the boys and girls are in their cozy 
seats, listening to teacher telling a story or showing 
them how to paint, and look at me. Tm wet !" 

He tripped over a rock as he ran. 

"Will I play truant again?" he said to himself. 

*I won't, by gosh, I bet.'* 



<<i 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT ' 47 



DAY DREAMING 

It was in the forest of Kuberco, in Central Africa. 
For centuries, the inhabitants — pigmies they were — 
were born, bred and buried in that strange country. 
And all this time without ever having seen the sun in 
the heavens ; for the trees in the forest were so dense 
and the leaves so thick, and the vines so high and pro- 
fuse, that scarcely a ray of light ever entered the 
gloomy and dismal place — a place, which it seemed, God 
had forgotten. 

The people reflected the dreariness and weariness of 
the forest. They moved about their everyday tasks 
but slowly and monotonously; life and activity were 
little known to them. Savages they were, of course, 
and as a story once went, they saw white man but once 
in their long history. Two men were seen to enter the 
mysterious forest, which no one yet had ever dared to 
enter, and these men disappeared ever afterwards. 

At the time of which this story treats, a number oi 
explorers had encamped in the outskirts of the forest 
and had accidentally set fire to it. The conflagration 
spread and soon was upon the strange pigmy tribe. 
They were at once awe and terror-stricken. Fire they 
had never before seen and at first the beauty of the 
flames mystified and then attracted them, but when 
they beheld their chief fall, a victim to its scorching 
heat, they fled and they fled. 

Everything was excitement. The weak and the 
sick were left behind in the wild rush, and the tame 
tigers and lions roamed aimlessly about, hopelessly be- 
wildered. The remnant of the tribe walked and ran 



48 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

intermittently for twelve weeks in their frantic effort 
to escape the encroaching flames, stopping but for rest 
and food. One day, in the thirteenth week of their 
flight, they were brought to a full and sudden halt. 
They had reached the outskirts of the forest, when lo ! 
Something in the vast heavens was staring them in 
the face, the like and mysteriousness of which they had 
never before beheld. It was the sun. 

For a while confusion reigned supreme. The tribe 
was terror-stricken ; mad and demented, they wandered 
aimlessly about till some of them died from lack of 
food and water. Some died instantly from mortal ter- 
ror, others completely lost their senses. 

For a number of days, the tumult and the shouting 
continued in one wild hullaballoo, but when it was seen 
that the huge ball of hght and fire did them no harm, 
they fell to worshipping it, and every day, at noon, 
offered a sacrifice to it as a sign of their fear and of 
their love. The leader of the tribe — a wise man — 
observed that as the days grew on the sun approached 
at noon high and higher in the heavens with every day. 
On the tenth day after this remarkable discovery, the 
sun was observed to be directly overhead. The tribe 
now began to feel uneasy. 

A few days later they were again terror-stricken, 
for when they assembled to offer their noon-time sacri- 
fice, they noted that the sun had begun to recede from 
overhead. In the next few days they observed that it 
was gradually lowering and lowering in the sky. In a 
short time, they reasoned, it would disappear from their 
sight. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 49 

The turmoil was soon so great that the wise men 
of the tribe held council to determine, if they could, 
the reason for this strange happening. After four days 
of continuous deliberation, they concluded that the 
great ball of light and fire in the heavens must be 
angry with them, and for this reason was going away 
from them, day by day. They were gloomy and sad 
and knew not how to appease and please the sun. They 
ordered sacrifice after sacrifice to be offered and these 
were offered, but to no avail. The sun continued to 
lower in the heavens. 

Grief-stricken, the wise men ordered the sorrowing 
tribe to return to the forest whence they had fled, where 
they could not look upon the angry sun and it not upon 
them. Slowly and sadly they re-entered the forest. 

Generations have now passed since this strange and 
hitherto unheard-of event. The world has changed its 
customs and its peoples again and again since then, but 
the little pigmy tribe still lives on, in the dreary, dismal 
forest of Kuberco, in Central Africa. Here they still 
are born, bred and buried — here — in the dark and 
gloomy forest. 

"Pay attention to the lesson, Henry." 
It was Mr. Colgan's voice. Henry knew he had 
been day dreaming. 



50 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

HENRY'S COMPOSITION 
*'Boys and girls/' said Mr. Colgan, "I am pleased to 
announce that Henry's composition, 'Crazy Al Lond' 
is the winner of the prize I have offered. I shall read 
it to you." 

CRAZY AL LOND 

Father had left with his men for Kabuk to haul 
lumber down the river. The hustle and bustle of the 
men went with them and except for Mother, I was 
alone in the new and strange woods. 

No longer could I run alone through the woods, for 
the wolves were about, and the men were not here to 
scare them off; no longer could I go with Harold or 
Wharton or Big Boot. Instead, I had to remain within 
the house and impatiently watch the clock turn its big 
hands, slowly at first, and then very, very slowly. 

Finally, I could withstand the tiring monotony no 
longer. The fresh air without, lured and lured me to 
the woods ; the clouds overhung in the sky, and despite 
the brightly burning fireplace, the house looked dismal 
and dark. I yearned incessantly for the men to return, 
but it seemed as if they never would. The minutes 
began to be hours, and every time the old timekeeper 
clicked, my mind wandered off to Kabuk. Stealthily 
I opened the door, and in another moment I was through 
and off. 

I had walked for about an hour ; snow was now fall- 
ing. The big, heavy flakes whitened all objects about 
me and the path, which I knew led in the direction of 
Kabuk, was gradually disappearing under the rapid fall 
of snow. I was on the verge of turning back, when 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 51 

thoughts of the dreariness at home fluttered to my 
mind, and spurred by the prospect of a glorious time 
at Kabuk, I was urged to go on, and on I went. 

If it was cold, I was not aware of it, for my only 
thoughts were on Kabuk. I would picture the men 
clearing the log-blocked river, or Jim leading me 
through the saw-mill, or myself serving the men at 
mess, or crossing the river on father's boat. 

While dreaming these sweet dreams, my attention 
was suddenly diverted to something moving in a path 
of whitened shrubbery to my left. Thinking that it 
was due to birds rustling about for food, I was about 
to continue my journey when I discovered that nothing 
less than a baby wolf was eyeing me piteously, its leg 
caught in a trap. I shuddered twixt sympathy and fear 
and my thoughts were confused for a moment. 

It was not so much the young wolfling that terrified 
me, but the likelihood that its ravenous mother must 
be rambling about, and the mere mention of wolf had 
always been a nightmare to me. Besides the wolves 
there was a new danger — the traps. Caught in one, I 
knew the dire consequences only too well. 

My fears were by far overshadowed, however, by 
the thought of Kabuk, and I continued on my way. 
Kabuk was irresistible. 

The path was now completely covered, and I had to 
judge its place by the position of the trees. I came to 
a slight depression in the snow-puffed ground, which I 
took to be a cross-path, and stepped upon it. I screamed, 
and the next moment I knew I had stepped into a narrow 
creek, and what was tenfold more to be dreaded, had 



52 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



lost the way to Kabuk. The meaning of this gradually- 
dawned before me and I stood utterly bewildered. 

I was lost in the great and unfrequented woods. 

Pondering as to what I should do, I stopped in- 
stantly. Not more than two hundred yards away a 
black object was moving over the blanketed earth. I 
didn't have to look twice to see what it was — I knew, 
and the next moment I leaped through what seemed to 
be a path, and as fast as my young legs could bear me, 
ran towards what to me was nowhere. 

How long I ran I can't tell ; my only thoughts were 
to run, and I was not even conscious of the moving legs 
below. 

In a moment I was brought to a full and complete 
stop, for out of the dense whiteness before me there 
now loomed forth, like a rock from an angry sea, a 
house so completely snow-covered that were it not 
for the smoke issuing from the chimney, I might have 
passed it by. 

The joy which this new turn brought was, however, 
shortlived, and my thoughts were suddenly swallowed 
in a maelstrom of dread and terror, for it dawned upon 
me that this was the house of ''Crazy Al Lond," which 
two children had entered and had disappeared ever 
afterwards. Crazy Al Lond was often talked about 
by the men, and it was in this way that I heard 
of weird stories about him. At one time, the men, 
heavily armed, went in search of him, with the view 
of driving him from the country. His house was be- 
sieged for hours, and when the impatient men finally 
broke in, Al Lond was nowhere to be found. He had 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 53 

vanished, as it were, into the thin air. 

I turned around and started back whence I had 
come. But lo! Not more than fifty yards away was 
the wolf, leaping eagerly and speedily towards me. Con- 
cerned with the thought of Crazy Al Lond I had for- 
gotten the beast entirely. I again turned and the next 
moment found me flying towards the dreaded house. 

Presently I came to the door, but here my courage 
failed me. 

The thought of the crazy man disheartened me. A 
glance over my shoulder, however, found me lifting the 
latch and rushing through the door. The frenzied wolf 
howled as the door closed upon it. 

Expecting, now, every moment, to be seized in the 
cold, bony clutches of Al Lond, I dared not turn about, 
but stood with my face towards the door, my hands on 
the latch. A calendar on the door caught my eyes; I 
thought I had seen it before — yes, I was sure I had. 
It carried me back to home, and I knew then that we 
had one just like it. 

Horror of horrors ! Someone was coming down the 
steps. The pumping of my heart almost drowned the 
noise of the footsteps. Suddenly, however, my heart 
seemed to stop beating. The footsteps were becoming 
louder and louder with every step. All my courage 
failed me and I stood like a piece of nothing, ready to 
be moulded into whatever Crazy Al Lond might desire. 

The steps presently ceased — I had been discovered. 
I muttered something, I knew not what, and forgot that 
I was alive. 



54 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

The words, "Where have you been/' greeted me in 
a voice that I well knew. 

Like the newborn chick, working to free itself from 
its burdensome shell, I endeavored to clear myself of 
the conflicting thoughts that enveloped my mind. I 
turned, and instead of finding myself in the cold, bony 
clutches of Al Lond, I found the ever-too-welcome arms 
of mother around me. 

I gasped and gave a sigh of relief. 
It was my own home. 



IN SCH OO L AND OUT 55 

BITTER SWEETS 

Mr. Colgan forbade talking in the class-room in his 
temporary absence from it. Not that it was a very 
serious offence in itself, but because he wished his class 
to learn and acquire the habit of self-control and to 
grow accustomed to feeling that they were old enough 
to take care of themselves without being watched. 

So, when on Valentine Day Mr. Colgan walked into 
his room and saw Henry leaning from his desk and 
speaking, he became angry. The boys and girls, hear- 
ing their teacher enter, turned their heads toward him 
and when they beheld the expression written on his face 
they understood that all was not right. 

Presently they heard the stern voice of their teacher. 

''Stand up!" 

Henry, somewhat frightened and ashamed, did so. 

''You were talking. What have you to say for your- 
self?" 

"Nothing," Henry answered, respectfully. 

The class looked on with benevolent sympathy, 
although they all felt that Henry was not in the right 
when he spoke, and that he should not have done it. 

Mr. Colgan was doubly angry, since that very morn- 
ing he had had occasion to reprimand another boy for 
that very offence. He determined now to stop the 
practice once for all. 

"I have tried to treat you as a gentleman," he said 
somewhat more mildly, "and you have taken advantage 
of my kindness. You have refused to be honest with 
yourself, or with your class, or with me. You have re- 
fused to*behave as I thought you would. You have 



56 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

shown yourself unworthy of my trust. I am very 
sorry." 

"If you expect me to act as a watchman over you, 
you are very much in error. It is not my business to 
do that. It is my business to teach, and I will not tol- 
erate a boy who needs a policeman to watch his actions. 
Henry, I'm very sorry. you did this. Fm certain you 
did not mean or realize what you did." 

The teacher paused. The class waited breathlessly 
to see what was coming next. Presently Mr. Colgan 
resumed. 

"Henry, I intended to punish you. I've changed my 
mind. I'm not going to say another word about the 
affair. Please be seated." 

Henry sat down and Mr. Colgan advanced to his 
desk, the eager eyes of the class following him. Upon 
the desk was something that had not been there before 
— a package. The teacher, surprised, opened it. 

It was a beautiful box of valentine candy and placed 
neatly on the box was a card. When Mr. Colgan read 
it, it made him feel in a manner that he had never be- 
fore felt. The card read : 

"To My Valentine. From Henry." 

It dawned upon him why Henry had spoken. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 57 

NERVES 
It was just before noon that it came, like a thunder- 
bolt from a clear sky. He was at his desk writing 
a composition, when, unexpected, unheralded and un- 
welcome, it brought Henry's hand instantaneously to 
his cheek. A sharp, stinging, rasping, cutting, un- 
merciful pain shot electric-like through that part of 
his face and for the moment stunned him. He would 
have uttered a sound, but the presence of his teacher 
and classmates prevented it. 

Just as quickly as it came, just so quickly it went. 
Henry waited. He halted his work and assumed a 
stop-look-and-listen attitude. He was suffering the 
pain of uncertainty and doubt. When would the second 
attack come? He wished it never would, but he had 
had his first toothache the previous week and knew 
what it meant. 

When it came, would it be more serious than the 
first attack ? He wondered. Would it last ? He didn't 
know, but he was hoping and hoping hard. 

He remained in an almost stationary position for 
three minutes, fearing to stir, lest by so doing the 
onslaught be somehow returned; the sleeping giant 
might again be led on its errand of torturous pain. 
Everything was quiet inside his mouth. It seemed to 
Henry too good to be true. Nothing happened. It 
must be true. Henry returned to his composition. 

Then it happened. A new, racking pain shot light- 
ning-like across his jaw. It ceased suddenly, but only 
for the moment, returning with increased fury. This 
time it lasted. Henry's lips closed, his teeth tightened 



58 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



against each other, his hands twitched, his feet moved 
restlessly below. The pain was unbearable. He mum- 
bled subdued sounds. 

In wave-like motion the pains increased and flashed 
intermittently. Now they would grow in intensity, 
now diminish, only to reappear more furious than ever. 

Henry suppressed his feelings somewhat, but he 
could not prevent tears from coming to his eyes. He 
lowered his head upon his arms. 

At this moment Mr. Colgan noticed the unusual posi- 
tion of the boy. Feeling that all was not quite right, 
he came to Henry and put his hand on his shoulder. 
Just the second before, the toothache had been at its 
worst. Henry shuddered and looked into the eyes of 
his teacher, his own wet with tears. 

"Toothache, Henry V asked Mr. Colgan sympatheti- 
cally. 

"Yes, Mr. Colgan," barely muttered the boy. 

"Stand, Henry, and let me see the tooth." 
Henry did so, the pains decreasing somewhat. 
"Open your mouth, Henry." 

Henry opened it slightly, but the pains forced him 
to close it quickly. 

"It will be all right, come, open it wide." 

Meantime the eyes of all the boys and girls looked 
sorrov/f ully at Henry, seeming to suffer with him. They 
knew, as all children know, what a toothache meant. 

Mr. Colgan peered into Henry's mouth and saw the 
tooth. A large cavity in the lower jaw was the cause 
of the trouble. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 59 

"All right, Henry, come with me," said Mr. Colgan 
gently. 

Henry followed his teacher from the class-room into 
the room reserved for the school doctor. Here Mr. Col- 
gan allayed the pain temporarily by soaking a small 
piece of absorbent cotton with oil of cloves and then 
plugging the hole in Henry's tooth with it. Gradually 
the pain ceased. Henry looked at his teacher with a 
multitude of thanks in his eyes. True he had always 
loved Mr. Colgan, but now he fairly worshipped him. 

After school that afternoon Henry went to the 
dentist. His mother went with him. They were led 
into the waiting-room and each sat down. The dentist 
was busy. 

Various thoughts moved rapidly in Henry's mind. 
This was a new experience for him. What would the 
dentist do? Would it pain him? Would he have to 
pull the tooth? If so, how would he do it? With a 
string, with a pincers or with what ? Was the dentist 
a heartless man? Would he treat him rudely? Just 
what would he do? These were some of the thoughts 
that passed through his mind. 

Suddenly he was aroused by a scream in the next 
room. Someone was going through what he was soon 
to experience. His heart sank. All his suspicions were 
confirmed. His head seemed heavy — the world became 
black before his eyes. He looked at his mother. She 
did not seem to be worried. In fact, she had quite 
forgotten Henry and his toothache, and was absorbed 
in one of the magazines, of which there was a plentiful 
supply on a table. 



60 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

In a few minutes the door opened and the dentist 
came into the room. He shook hands with Henry's 
mother, patted Henry on the head and said some sooth- 
ing words which Henry immediately forgot when he 
glanced through the open door into the next room. 
Everything he saw there was, to his eyes, an instru- 
ment designed for torture. And such a variety of 
pain-producing tools. Henry shuddered as his eyes 
went from one apparatus to the other. 

Then it was that the boy changed. He determined 
to be brave. He was led to the operating chair, but 
not without another careful inspection of the instru- 
ments about him. Fear again began to creep into his 
heart. 

Henry looked at the dentist. He appeared to be a 
kind man, but that did not reassure Henry much. The 
dentist examined the boy's mouth, located the tooth 
with a sharp-pointed instrument, which made Henry 
jump with pain when it touched the guilty tooth. 
Henry sat up, looked the dentist in the face and spoke. 
'Will it hurt, Mr. Dentist r 

'No, my son, you will not feel it," rephed the den- 
tist in a pleasant voice. 

Henry would have liked to believe him, but some- 
how he could not. Then the thought struck him that 
the dentist was going to pull his tooth. The idea sick- 
ened him. He saw pincers and blood and other things. 
He became desperate. 

He looked at the dentist nervously and begged. 

"Please, Mr. Dentist, don't pull it out, just fix it." 

The dentist smiled. 



<<i 



iC] 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 61 



In a few moments Henry was sound asleep. The 
dentist had given him gas. Soon he was dreaming. 

He dreamed that he had been asleep and that he 
had just awakened. He dreamed that he was living 
in the country where he once had lived. Yawning, he 
tried to find out what time it was. It couldn't be morn- 
ing, because his mother was making the evening meal. 

''No/' thought Henry, ''it must be the afternoon." 
But where had he been? Certainly he had not stayed 
away from school, and it couldn't be Saturday, because 
the word "Thursday" glared in big red letters on the 
calendar on the wall. He was on the verge of asking 
his mother when she suddenly opened the back door 
and a gust of wind brought the moist sweet fragrance 
of the fields to him. Instantly he knew what had hap- 
pened. It had rained terribly and torrentially and 
school had been dismissed for the afternoon. 

Presently the tramp, tramp, tramp of his father's 
big boots he distinctly heard echoing across the 
meadows. He rushed through the open door, but his 
father was nowhere to be seen, only Mr. Smith and 
Fido could he see bringing the cows in from pasture. 
The dazzling sun to the west caught his young eyes 
and blinded him for the moment. He turned away. 
From the great variety of colors before him there 
gradually appeared the outline of a haywagon, and as 
he looked up he beheld the driver motioning to him. He 
had dropped his lash, and Henry ran to pick it up. His 
shoes sank in the muddy Mother Earth, and he could 
feel his stockings gradually becoming wet. 

"That's a good boy," said the driver, throwing him 



62 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

an inviting red apple. "Would you like to have a ride ?" 
Forgetting about his father and the roasted chicken 
which his mother was preparing, and enthused only 
by the thought of a triumphal ride high up on the 
wagon, he nodded yes and shyly climbed up. 

They had ridden for about two hours ; the sun had 
set and the heavy blanket of evening fell and gradually 
dimmed all objects about them. On his left Henry 
thought he saw an old, dilapidated farm house, and as 
he drew nearer he found that he was right. From the 
growing darkness it now stood forth, and as his eyes 
glanced by the attic window they were arrested by 
something he knew not what. He felt his skin creep- 
ing and a cold sensation ran through the entire length 
of his body. 

"Ghosts !" he whimpered and leaned with timid eyes 
to the driver for protection. 

Interested in other things until now, Henry had 
failed to notice that the driver had not said one word 
to him since he had climbed on the wagon. His whole 
attitude was now strange and unnatural. He gazed 
straight ahead, his eyes and mouth wide open and did 
not stir. Henry shrank from him and tried to make 
himself inconspicuous. 

The road was full of ruts, but as the wagon passed 
over them it did not jar. The very horses themselves 
were stilted; their heads did not move and their legs 
worked like those of a toy. 

As Henry stared at the driver the man slowly turned 
his head, smiled in a way that Henry could not under- 
stand and then returned to his former posture. His 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 63 



face suddenly became sort of yellowish and his eyes 
somewhat greenish-yellow. They bulged forth from 
their sockets and their emptyness struck terror within 
him. 

Despite the ghosts in the rear Henry thought that 
he would jump from the wagon and run back, but as 
he looked down the ground seemed to be at least twenty 
feet away. No hopes seemed left to him, and he was 
about to resign himself to despair. 

Suddenly he beheld a shadow lurking in the fore- 
ground. It was approaching them and they it. Help 
had surely come, and as the figure drew nearer he 
uttered a shout of tremendous joy. 

"Father! Father!'* he cried, for sure enough, there 
was father coming down the mud-soaked road. Henry 
cried to him and motioned wildly to him. At last his 
father looked up. He had seen Henry. Here a strange 
circumstance happened. He looked up at Henry with 
the same empty smile with which the horrible creature 
beside him had terrified him but the moment before. 

Then he passed on. In another moment he was out 
of sight. 

For the moment Henry lost his thoughts. When 
he came to he felt a heavy pressure in his head. The 
lining of his mouth and throat seemed to crack from 
lack of moisture, and his heart was wreathed in inde- 
scribable agony at the thought of his father. 

Henry looked for a while straight ahead, caring 
little of what would next befall him, when lo! There 
suddenly appeared from the dense darkness before 
them a great, dark ditch. Henry tried to warn the 



64 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



man beside him, but he looked straight ahead and did 
not heed him. The weird, mechanical steeds increased 
their speed. Henry uttered something, he knew not 
what, and lost his senses. 

When he awoke, they were falling at a dizzy speed ; 
the horses and wagon were upright, and only straight, 
high walls could he see about him. The strange man 
beside him was still sitting on the seat, looking straight 
ahead, when sudr'enh he turned, stared at Henry 
searchingly and menacingly, and then with his cold, 
bony hands seized him by the collar. Henry shrieked 
and then leaped from his seat. As he fell he caught a 
glimpse of the bottom. What he saw can never be de- 
scribed. He lost consciousness and his torture ceased. 

The bright daylight dazzled him for a moment. Be- 
fore him was a great window. The roofs of the distant 
houses gradually became clearer. From the rear a 
rather chuckling voice said, "My ! What a brave little 
chap and how well he stood the gas!" It was the 
dentist. 

He leaned forward and Henry could see him clearly. 
He was dressed all in white and in his hand he held a 
giant of a tooth. A curious sensation grew in Henry's 
mouth when he started to speak — it was the cavity left 
by the tooth. 

"My !" thought he, "that's the ditch down which we 
went." 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 65 



CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE 
Carrie's birthday party was but a week hence. As 
yet Henry had not been invited. This despite the fact 
that James and Harry and several other of his friends 
had already received, and were proudly showing their 
invitations. At first, Henry was inclined to believe 
that perhaps the invitation had been delayed some- 
where in the mails. However, when several days had 
passed and still no letter had arrived, this thought left 
him and he concluded that perhaps the letter had been 
incorrectly addressed, but when he recollected how well 
Carrie knew his address this belief could no longer hold. 

Certainly he was deeply disappointed. Had Carrie 
purposely omitted him ? Had she meant to slight him ? 
A strange feeling gathered force in the region of 
Henry's heart. It was the sum total of his deep dis- 
appointment, his hurt pride, and the collapse of his 
dreams of friendship which he had hoped Carrie would 
ever bear toward him. 

He would hear the boys and the girls at recess dis- 
cussing the coming party and the gifts they were buy- 
ing for Carrie, and Henry, hearing them, could not re- 
main near, for he suffered pain and would slip unnoticed 
from the groups of youngsters. 

Being alone, however, offered him no relief, but 
seemed to increase his dismay. He was a sorry boy; 
sorry that she had not invited him to her party. 

Two days before the party Henry's mood had grown 
sullen and angry. His chagrin was becoming unbear- 
able. Whenever that day in school he thought that 
Carrie was not looking he would gaze at her, partly in 



66 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

anger, partly in disappointment and partly in admira- 
tion. 

At recess time he had gone into a far comer of 
the yard. He wanted to be alone. He gazed down the 
street, apparently looking at everything, but actually 
seeing nothing. Picture his surprise, therefore, when 
a gentle tap at his shoulder interrupted his mental 
wanderings and he beheld, as he moved his eyes, none 
other than Carrie herself. She was smiling sweetly. 

For a moment the whole world seemed to turn 
topsy-turvy, but the situation gradually cleared. 

"Carrie," Henry half muttered with intense sur- 
prise. All harsh feelings toward her had left him. He 
was himself again. 

"Henry, you are coming to the party, aren't you?" 
she spoke clearly and in a soft voice. 

Henry thought for a moment, trying to fathom why 
he had not received the invitation. Failing in this he 
realized that some place, somewhere, something had 
gone wrong, and that Carrie was not to blame, and that 
apparently she did not even know that he had not re- 
ceived an invitation. But she had come to him and 
asked him personally, and certainly that was as good, 
if not better, than a written invitation. So Henry re- 
plied, "I'll try to be there, Carrie. Thank you very 
much." 

"Please do, Henry. I shall be very sorry if you are 
not there." 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 67 



She smiled at him pleasantly and in another moment 
she skipped away somewhere in the throngs of happy 
youngsters. 

All the admiration, all the respect, all the high feel- 
ings which Henry had once borne for her, returned to 
him. She was once again his idol and ideal. 

Henry went home that afternoon happy and cheer- 
ful of heart. The world was no longer a dismal place. 
Rather, it was the cheeriest world that Henry could 
imagine. When he reached home he was further 
cheered because his mother gave him the long awaited 
invitation. She had received it several days ago and 
had put it away to give to him when he should return 
from school. However, under the stress of her house- 
work, she had temporarily forgotten about it, and had 
she not accidentally found it that day, it would have 
been completely forgotten until, perhaps, sometime 
after the party. 

The day of the party came. Henry went to school. 
The time there seemed to drag and drag. He wished 
it was closing time, and he wished this often. After 
he had waited what seemed to him an unusually long 
time, school was dismissed. He hurried home, and 
dressed for the evening in his best clothes, and again 
waited impatiently for the time to fly so that the party 
might begin. However, it was still early and the affair 
was yet several hours hence. 

Uneasy and restless, he could remain in the house 
no longer. So he took himself to the vacant lot where 
his companions were accustomed to assemble at that 
time, and where they played and screamed and chatted 



68 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

each with the other, and did the numerous things that 
the average boy does when he is with his playmates 
on a vacant lot. 

There Henry saw Harry and as he looked more 
attentively his eyes opened widely, for Harry was busy 
in doing something which he had never before done. 

He was smoking. 

Henry walked to him, his mouth and eyes opened 
wide, wondering. They exchanged a few words with 
each other. What they said none but they themselves 
know. What is known, however, is that within a few 
minutes Henry, too, for the first time in his life, was 
proudly smoking a cigarette. When one cigarette was 
entirely consumed Harry gave him another, and he lit 
that. 

Then came signs that all was not well. He grew 
dizzy; a peculiar taste, and an unusual uncomfortable 
feeling he experienced, much like that of seasickness. 

Before many moments he was on his way home, a 
sick boy. And the party was to be held that night! 
When that thought came to him, it made him still 
worse. He was sorry, truly sorry, that he had touched 
the cigarette, and he determined, there and then, that 
he would never touch another. 

He drank some water. It seemed to relieve him 
somewhat. In a short time the ill feeling entirely dis- 
appeared. 

Henry was overjoyed. 

Time came for the party and Henry went. 

Picture the wonderful time he had. All his friends 
were there, including Harry. And never did Carrie 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 69 



appear to Henry as she did that night. It was hard for 
him to remove his eyes from her. 

The boys and girls were extremely jolly. They 
played games, they sang, they told jokes and had ice 
cream, cakes and nuts. Everyone agreed that they had 
had a very enjoyable time and when the party v/as near- 
ing its end, Carrie's mother and father came in to bid 
the boys and girls *'good-bye." 

It was then that something occurred that made 
Henry feel a trifle sorry. 

Harry, it appears, wishing to draw his handker- 
chief from his pocket, accidentally pulled with it the 
package of cigarettes which happened to be in the same 
pocket, and before the astonished eyes of all it lay 
on the floor. Stooping guiltily, he removed it and re- 
placed it in his pocket. 

Everyone had seen. Of that there was no doubt. 

Certainly it seemed that never again would Harry 
be in the good graces of Carrie's parents and the assem- 
bled boys and girls. Henry felt sorry for him, but he 
was mighty glad that he himself had not had the 
cigarettes in his pocket. That, indeed, would have been 
a tragedy. 

He said farewell to all and in a short time was 
safely home. 

He was a happy boy and prayed longer than usual 
that night. The evening was cold. The covers were 
warm, but he did not sleep well. Harry's misfortune 
troubled him. 

A few days later Carrie's parents received the fol- 
lowing letter from Henry : 



70 IN SCH OO L AND OUT 

"It seems that I must write to you and confess that 
I, too, smoked cigarettes on the day of the party. I had 
meant to say nothing about it, but could not since I 
was equally as guilty as Harry and he was receiving all 
the punishment of shame. I spoke to Harry today and 
we decided to ask you to forgive us, since it was our 
first offense." 

As a result of this letter another party was arranged 
for Carrie and her friends, and, needless to say, both 
boys were there. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 71 

TO BE OR NOT TO BE 

Never had so many things happened to Henry at one 
time. To begin with, his work in Arithmetic at school 
in the morning had been very poor. Mr. Colgan had 
spoken to him about it. Moreover, he had been unfor- 
tunate enough to fall into a puddle of water on his way 
to school, almost ruining his new suit and in addition 
losing a half dollar that he had had in his pocket and 
which he had taken great pains to save. 

He also had forgotten to go to the bank at noon 
hour for his father and it was too late when he re- 
membered it. To make matters worse he forgot himself 
in the afternoon, and talked in class, for which 
offence he was severely upbraided by Mr. Colgan. 
As he was passing out of his room he again, without 
thinking, spoke, and was on that account detained 
after school for quite a time. 

On his way home he met some of his friends. They 
asked him if he would like to play in a game of 
baseball with them. Liking baseball as he did, Henry 
at once agreed. Instead of playing in the vacant lot 
as they usually did, they played on one of the side 
streets near his home. This was because other teams 
had already taken the space in the vacant lot before 
they had arrived. 

Nevertheless, Henry and his companions enjoyed 
themselves considerably, at least, until the seventh 
inning. It was then that something happened that 
changed their pleasure and enjoyment to worry. 
This was especially true with Henry. 

It was his turn to bat. He stood bravely before the 



72 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



plate and awaited the ball which was being maneuvered 
in the pitcher's hands. He swung his bat back and 
forth gracefully and expectantly. Presently, the pitcher 
moved. He circled his arms over his head conspicuously 
and then heaved his arm forward. The ball left. 

On, on, it came. 

Henry saw it approaching at a remarkable speed 
and swung his best. The first thing he knew was the 
heavy impact of the bat against the ball. He had hit. 
Almost instinctively he started to run with all speed 
around the bases while the cheering voices of his team- 
mates kept urging him on, screaming that he should 
make a home run. Henry ran, and ran, and ran. He 
was well towards first base when suddenly he was 
brought to a halt. There was the crash of glass. 

The cheering stopped. The movements of the 
players stopped. Everything stopped, and all eyes 
moved of themselves up the street. The boys did not 
have to ask what the trouble was. They had experi- 
enced similar incidents before. 

Henry's ball had gone clean through a window. It 
was a very bad circumstance in itself and of very 
serious consequence. But when clearer thoughts re- 
turned to all and especially to Henry, dismay and 
worry increased beyond all bounds. This was because 
that particular window belonged to the house in which 
dwelt none other than Police Officer Maguire himself. 

Nobody had to look twice. A second later the 
players scattered helter-skelter in all directions in 
their eagerness not to be recognized. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 73 

Henry ran home. Truly, he was an unfortunate 
boy. And certainly it had been a very discouraging 
day for him. He was very downcast and very much 
worried. He pictured himself behind the bars in a 
lonely cell, living on bread and water, disgraced and 
abandoned by his friends. 

For some reason he feared to tell his mother and 
father of what he had done. Perhaps it was because 
he still had the slight hope that Officer Maguire would 
not find out who did it and thus he might escape punish- 
ment. 

He went up to his room and tried to do his lessons 
for the morrow, but try as he would, he could not. His 
thoughts could not rest on books. They were in other 
places. Presently, footsteps sounded on his front 
porch. His heart leaped wildly. He ran tiptoe to his 
door and listened nervously. In a moment he was* 
relieved. It was his sister. He listened further. She 
did not seem to know of the broken window because 
she did not mention it while he listened. 

He ran quietly to his bed and lay down. He did 
not cry but he felt as though he would like to. He 
fell asleep, but awoke in a short time. 

It was already dark. So he quietly walked down- 
stairs and took his place at the dinner table. Appar- 
ently no one suspected anything as yet. His father 
had not yet arrived and, of course, he wouldn't know. 
Henry felt a little easier. 

Soon his father did come. Shortly after, dinner 
was served. Henry did not eat as much as usual. The 
reason was plain. In the evening Henry remained in- 



74 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

doors and appeared to work studiously at his lessons. 

He stopped abruptly, and again his heart beat 
wildly. Footsteps again on the porch! This time it 
must surely be the officer, he thought. What a sur- 
prise when in walked his uncle John — he whom Henry 
had not seen for four years. 

What happened during the next hour or two can 
well be imagined. Henry was alternately thrilled by 
the presence of his uncle and thrown into depths of 
despair by the thought of Officer Maguire. At any 
rate, before the evening was over Henry was the owner 
of a new five dollar bill — a present from his uncle. 

Then it was that Henry's mind began to work fever- 
ishly. It was not long before a plan came to his mind. 
He put on his coat and cap and left the house while 
the folks were busy with their tea. 

A few moments later he was at Officer Maguire's 
house. He explained the whole situation and offered 
to pay for the window. Officer Maguire listened 
carefully and told Henry that the window would cost 
a dollar to replace. Henry gave him his five dollar bill. 
Officer Maguire gave him the change. He smiled 
broadly as he did so. He told Henry not to worry and 
that everything would be all right. He suggested, 
however, that the next time he should use more dis- 
cretion and play in places where such an accident could 
not occur. 

Henry told him how sorry he was and promised to 
do as the officer said. 

How surprised and happy he was when, as he was 
bidding good-bye, Mr. Maguire shook hands with him. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 75 



He was indeed glad that he had corrected his mistake 
in a manly way. 

Henry left, a much wiser boy. 



76 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



A TOUCH OF NATURE 

It was in the park on a Sunday afternoon of a day 
in May. The air was balmy, the sky soothingly blue, 
and the grass a rich green. Crickets hummed their 
never ceasing conversation in song ; bees buzzed busily 
overhead; many-colored butterflies fluttered aimlessly 
in their zig-zag course; grass-hoppers frisked about 
fearlessly; the dragon-fly swooped hesitatingly; birds 
flew gracefully here and there, singly and in flocks ; tall 
grass waved gently in the quiet wind ; streams trickled 
harmonious sounds; giant trees, aged by decades of 
sun and storm, seemed to be lifting their glory to the 
heavens in everlasting prayer, and older folks walked 
happily, arm in arm, down sun-lit paths, and children 
laughed and screamed and jumped and skipped, and 
ran and sat and sang and played. 

Of this happy throng of youth there were two who 
trod unused paths and climbed carefully uphill and slid 
carelessly down, and forded creeks and jumped fences. 

They were Henry and his friend Harry. One could 
have noticed that they stopped occasionally, picked up 
a flower or a spray of leaves and pressed them care- 
fully in a book that each carried. 

Presently, Henry broke oif a large spray of wax- 
like leaves. It was certainly beautiful, and Mr. Colgan, 
Henry thought, would be happy to receive it, for he 
had asked his class to bring sprays of leaves or flowers 
to school if by chance any of the pupils should happen 
to be in the park over the week-end. This is why 
Henry and Harry were searching for choice sprays. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 77 

The day passed. It was growing late. The boys 
decided it was time to retrace their steps and return 
home. This they did. 

When they reached home they were tired and 
hungry, but happy, and satisfied that they had enjoyed 
the day. 

Monday came. Henry took the spray from the 
vase into which he had placed it so carefully the even- 
ing before, and went to school. He pictured his teacher 
thanking him, in appreciation for the spray. He 
thought of the lesson in painting that the class would 
have with it in the afternoon. 

School commenced. Henry, as soon as he had taken 
his seat, immediately left it, spray in hand, and 
advanced eagerly to the front of the room, holding 
the spray high over the heads of the boys and girls. 

Mr. Colgan looked pleasantly at Henry and lifted 
his arms to receive it. He looked at it and suddenly 
stopped. 

He examined it more carefully, his face reddened 
slightly and he exclained quickly: 

"Drop it, Henry — quickly !** 

Henry was surprised, but he obeyed. He looked at 
his teacher — then at the spray, which was now in the 
waste basket. Then he again lifted his eyes to his 
teacher. Mr. Colgan was looking at him and smiling. 
The eyes of all the class were watching both eagerly. 

All waited for the teacher to speak. 

"It's poison ivy,'' he said. 

Henry's face became as red as fire. He was fright- 
ened. He looked at his arms for signs of the dreaded 



'JS IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

ivy. There were none. His skin was clear, but there 
was no telling when the symptoms might appear. 

Henry returned to his seat and began to worry. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 79 

BLOTTED 

Perhaps Henry had never made a prettier draw- 
ing. Never had he been more careful. Little wonder 
that he gazed at his work with a sense of pride and 
satisfaction. Perhaps too, there was a special reason 
why Henry had been so painstaking on this particular 
day. Mr. Colgan had so rearranged the seating of 
the boys and girls that Carrie was now sitting directly 
in front of him. 

The thought that she might, at any moment, turn 
and examine his work was in itself sufficient spur to 
make him do it very, very well. Not for one moment 
would he have her think that he was careless, partic- 
ularly in drawing. No boy wants to have himself 
considered slovenly in drawing, especially when it is 
to be painted with water colors. Henry's drawing 
was to be painted with water colors. 

Accordingly, when he had completed the outline of 
the spray of flowers that he had sketched, he prepared 
his paints and carefully placed the little water jar at 
the top of his desk. It was from this container that 
he secured his supply of water for his brush when- 
ever necessary. He mixed his paints most painstak- 
ingly. He was ready to paint. 

Slowly he moved his brush over the drawing. He 
would make a masterpiece. He would put his utmost 
efforts in making something that was worth while. Mr. 
Colgan came down the aisles and examined the draw- 
ings. Soon he was at Henry's desk. He stopped and 
looked at the drawing as though he had never seen 
such work from Henry, even though he always did 



80 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

such fine work. But this was much better than he had 
ever done. It was much better than any he had seen 
so far in that class. He remained at Henry's side 
longer than usually and watched him as the boy deftly 
moved his brush. 

"Very fine, Henry," he said, as he moved away from 
the boy's desk. 

Although Henry had felt, himself, that his work this 
day was much better than usual, he was very much 
pleased to hear it from the lips of his teacher. He 
was more than gratified when he thought that Carrie 
must certainly have heard what Mr. Colgan had said. 
He waited for her to turn around and look at his work. 
He was not disappointed. Presently she did turn 
and glanced bashfully at it, and then turned hastily 
back to her former position, blushing slightly. She> 
too, was admiring the work that Henry was doing. 

For the next twenty minutes Henry labored with 
the utmost care. Gradually his drawing neared com- 
pletion. He held it at arms length and gazed at it. 
Mr. Colgan saw him do this and asked him to take it 
to the front of the class and show it to the boys and 
girls. 

Henry rose and went to the front of the room and 
held it as he was directed. The class looked at it in 
genuine appreciation. Then Henry took his seat. He 
began to complete it. 

Carrie, who was somewhat of an artist herself, could 
not resist examining the drawing at close range. 
Slowly she turned, said not a word, and looked at it 
with much interest. She seemed, this time, to examine 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 81 

it carefully. Suddenly, she stopped when she saw that 
Henry had ceased his work and was looking at her. 
When their eyes met each experienced feelings of shy- 
ness, and Carrie began to turn around. As she did 
so her elbow moved the reservoir. The water was dis- 
colored by the brush which Henry had occasionally 
dipped into it. 

The container trembled hesitatingly for a second 
and then toppled over. 

A tragedy was the result. Henry's masterpiece 
was blotted and stained beyond repair. It would be 
impossible to picture the feelings of the boy at that 
moment. When his excitement had abated somewhat, 
he saw that the eyes of all the class were upon him, 
and that Mr. Colgan, too, was looking at him. He col- 
lected his thoughts. He removed a blotter from his 
desk, noticing while he was doing this that some of 
the paints had even gotten on his clothes. 

He looked at Carrie. She was red as fire. Mr. 
Colgan walked down to him, his face almost rigid with 
astonishment. He looked at Henry, then at his draw- 
ing. It was no longer the masterpiece it had been. 
His expression changed to one of sympathy. 

"How did that happen, Henry?" he asked kindly. 

"The water toppled over accidentally," he replied. 

"I see," said Mr. Colgan, "Fm very sorry." 

Nothing more was said about the matter by any- 
one until after school. Of course Henry was very, 
very disappointed at the sudden turn of affairs, but 
he harbored no ill feelings towards Carrie. He was 
very glad that he had not laid the blame on her. 



82 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

After school, Carrie stopped him, to his intense sur- 
prise. 

"Henry, please forgive me. I didn't mean to do it, 
and it was so very pretty." 

**I have nothing to forgive," replied Henry. 

Carrie smiled pleasantly and admiringly. 

"Will you let me keep the drawing as a remem- 
brance then?" she asked. 

What Henry replied no one knows, but if any one 
could have seen him at that moment, he would have 
noticed that he searched his books impatiently and 
finally finding what he wanted, gave it to Carrie. She 
looked at it with mingled feelings and Henry looked at 
her in the same way. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 83 

A BIT OF STRATEGY 

Every school has its bully. And, of course, the 
school which Henry attended was no exception. His 
name was Gregory Limestone. He was a big boy, 
larger than he should have been for his age. He was 
the usual type of bully. He avoided arguments with 
boys of his own size and seldom associated with them. 
He sought out those boys who were a head under his 
size and tried to terrorize them by force of physical 
might. 

Usually he was successful. Occasionally he would 
make a mistake. Unknowingly, he would intimidate 
a boy who had a bigger brother. When this happened, 
the older brother was apt to look for him, and he would 
stop his attacks for a time. But only for a time. He 
never had been given a beating that would have made a 
lasting impression on him. 

One day he ran into Henry, who unfortunately hap- 
pened to be in his way while he was running in the 
schoolyard. They exchanged words. Perhaps Gregory 
Limestone would have chastised him then and there 
but he was ever careful not to make his attack in the 
yard of the school. He always waited until after the 
dismissal. Then he would follow his victim after hav- 
ing lain in wait for him. 

Henry heard him boast that he would get him after 
school. That was what worried Henry. He knew that 
Gregory Limestone would do as he said. He knew, 
moreover, that he himself had no older brother to pro- 
tect him. Perhaps he could rely on his friend Harry 
and one or two of his other schoolmates for protection, 



84 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

if he would tell them his troubles. This he felt 
ashamed to do. He feared that they might think him 
cowardly and afraid. 

He knew that he was not a coward, but he did know 
that he was no match for the superior might of 
Gregory Limestone, and that it would be fool-hardy to 
meet with him in combat. There wasn't the shade of 
a chance of him coming through such a fight in any 
manner except with a very severe beating. 

Truth to tell, he didn't even fear that as much 
as the glory that Gregory Limestone would gain from 
the fight. He determined forthwith that he would 
not give him the opportunity to beat him up. 

Try as he would during the afternoon session of 
school to evolve a plan to escape him on his way home, 
he could not. The matter worried him considerably 
and he could not give proper attention to his work. 
Dismissal time was rapidly drawing near. 

Suddenly a thought struck him. 

Henry remembered that it was the custom of Mr. 
Colgan to pass his house on his way home, when 
school was dismissed for the day. Henry waited. 
The school session closed, and Henry, with his class, 
passed out. Henry, however, did not leave the school- 
yard. He searched through the throngs outside for 
Gregory Limestone, and saw through the iron rails of 
the school fence, that he was waiting at the comer. 
Gregory had seen him first. 

Perhaps five minutes passed. Most of the pupils 
were on their way home and away from the school. 
Presently, Henry walked boldly out of the schoolyard. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 85 

and right in the direction of Gregory Limestone. But 
Gregory Limestone did not approach him. He knew 
better, for not ten yards in back of Henry was Mr. 
Colgan, on his way home. 

It was just as Henry had calculated. He appeared 
not to notice Mr. Colgan, but actually he had one eye 
on his teacher and one eye on the boy who was waiting 
the opportunity to attack him. Henry feared, for a 
moment, that Mr. Colgan might take a different route 
that afternoon and was overjoyed when he did not. 
He proceeded as always. The boy anticipating and 
keeping well in front of Henry, was hoping all the time 
that Mr. Colgan would change his way. 

Presently, something very unfortunate happened to 
Henry. Mr. Colgan suddenly turned about and re- 
traced his steps in the direction of the school. Evi- 
dently, he had forgotten something. A familiar feel- 
ing grew in the region of Henry's heart. It increased 
wildly when he beheld Gregory Limestone approach- 
ing. There was only one resource left to him and that 
was his legs. He didn't feel very confident of them. 
He knew that the other boy was a very fast runner. 
Moreover, he was handicapped with the books in his 
arms. They seemed heavier than ever. 

Then fortune changed again. From around the 
corner Henry spied Officer Maguire. He thought for 
a moment. A second later he ran to him with all 
speed. 

Gregory Limestone saw. Presently he ran with all 
his might in an opposite direction, thinking that Henry 
was going to tell the officer about him. 



86 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



Henry, however, had no such thought. He wanted 
to make the bully think, that that was what he was 
going to do. He ceased running and walked as he 
approached the officer. Then he spoke to him. 

*'Mr. Maguire, did you get the window fixed all 
right r 

"Yes, sonny, I did." 

As the police officer spoke he patted Henry on the 
shoulder. At that moment Gregory Limestone hap- 
pened to turn around. He saw the policeman pat 
Henry on the back. 

That was the end of the affair. He never dis- 
turbed Henry any more. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 87 

UNINTENTIONAL GUILT 

Even the person who is not a book lover is, for 
some reason, attracted by a new book. No matter what 
it may be about, he experiences a peculiar desire to 
open it and glance through its pages. Oft-times he 
feels, in a subconscious sort of way, that it may contain 
hidden treasures which may unfold to him if he but 
opens and turns its leaves. With the book lover this 
desire to examine a new book is especially marked. 

Henry was just such a boy. He made frequent 
trips to the library and while there he would often 
pick up a book, whose title was absolutely foreign to 
him, and eagerly turn its pages. If the book was 
brand new, he experienced a special pleasure, and was 
thrilled by the pictures it contained. 

Often, in school, his eyes would open a trifle wider 
and his ears would become keener, when he saw Mr. 
Colgan advance to read from a new book. As it was 
with Henry, so it was with all the other boys and girls 
in the class. 

One day, the class was agreeably surprised when 
Mr. Colgan announced that he had secured a set of new 
readers for the class. The boys and girls waited im- 
patiently for them to arrive, wondering in the mean- 
time what the color of the books might be. When they 
came they were pleased beyond expectation. It was 
a set of bright red books, thicker than most of the 
readers that they had seen. Certainly, they thought, 
their pages must be filled with good stories and new 
ones, too. 

They were not disappointed when they were dis- 



88 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



tributed to the class. Each opened the book neatlj 
and carefully. Mr. Colgan gave them a few moments 
to look through the pages. This they did eagerly, 
glancing longer than usual at the pictures. These 
seemed to fascinate them particularly. 

Soon they were reading to their hearts* content. 
Never did they give better and closer attention to the 
lesson than during that half hour and never did they 
enjoy themselves more. Henry wished that he had 
a whole library of books like them. He thought that 
he would do nothing but read and read and read. 

The boys and girls wished that Mr. Colgan would 
allow them to take the book home, just as he did with 
their histories, but in this they were doomed to dis- 
appointment. Mr. Colgan explained that he would like 
very much to have the books taken home, but that 
since the books were meant to be used only as readers, 
in school, to be read each week, he would defeat their 
purpose if he should permit them to be taken home 
and read at one time. He explained further that more 
good would come if they were read under his super- 
vision. Moreover, he told them that the books were 
meant to last a very long time and that they would 
soon wear out if they were carried back and forth to 
school. In such an event the boys and girls, who were 
yet to come to his class, would not be able to enjoy 
them. 

For these reasons he asked the boys and girls not 
to take them home, but to keep them under their desks. 
In fact, he told them that he would become very angry 
if anyone should violate his request and take the book 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 89 

to his house. Apparently, it was unnecessary for Mr. 
Colgan to tell this to the class, since they all appeared 
satisfied that it was the best plan to preserve the books 
as long as possible so that their younger brothers 
might have them to enjoy when they reached Mr. Col- 
gan's room. 

The next day the class again read from the books 
and were more delighted than ever with them. That 
afternoon as Henry was on his way home with his 
friend Harry, he suddenly stopped short when he acci- 
dentally happened to look at his books. There was 
one of the red readers among them. He had mistaken 
it, somehow, for his physiology. With an unusually 
guilty feeling he looked at Harry. 

He seemed not to notice Henry^s predicament and 
for the moment Henry debated in his mind whether 
or not he should tell Harry about it. Finally he reached 
the conclusion that it was best not to. He wasn't quite 
certain whether Harry had noticed it or not. He 
thought, perhaps, that he might have seen it and was 
keeping quiet about it. Then again when he looked 
carefully at him he felt somewhat at ease. He seemed 
not yet to be aware of it. 

Harry was surprised presently when Henry asked 
him to hurry as he wanted to get home quickly as he 
could, giving the excuse that he wanted to do his les- 
sons immediately, so that he could have more time to 
play, without having them on his mind. Harry agreed, 
and Henry, concealing his books under his arms as 
much as possible, and wishing, all the journey home, 
that Harry would not see, soon found himself at the 



90 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

steps of his abode. 

Here, the pair parted, and Henry hastened into the 
house. There his worries started anew. He consid- 
ered what he should do. If he should return to school 
with the book in the morning he would most likely be 
seen, and, of course, thought he, the explanation that 
he would give, would be laughed at and would make his 
teacher all the more angry. All afternoon he was tor- 
mented with fleeting thoughts and suggestions. As 
soon as one idea came to his mind he would drop it as 
being unwise. The thought even came to him that he 
might come to school very early, long before anyone 
had yet arrived, and replace the book in his desk. But 
the difficulty with that was that he would be questioned 
by the janitor, and he knew that he would not be able 
to explain his presence satisfactorily to him. 

All evening he was restless and worried, and all 
through the course of his sleep he dreamed about the 
book. Certainly he was a very unhappy boy. About 
four o'clock in the morning he awoke with a start. He 
had dreamed that he was in the library and that he 
had taken three books from the shelves and had un- 
knowingly attempted to walk out without having them 
registered. He had been seen by the uniformed attend- 
ant and the latter had summoned a pohceman. The 
policeman had come and had questioned him. Henry 
tried to explain that it was all unintentional, but try 
as he would he could not speak to the officer. Some- 
thing had gone wrong with his voice. He tried to yell 
his words at the policeman, but could not utter a single 
sound. He tried to scream and could not. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 91 

The officer looked amazedly at him and rudely took 
him by the shoulder. At that point Henry had 
awakened with a start. He was more worried than 
he had ever been. He made his mind up, there and 
then, that he would decide what was best to do, at once, 
come what might. 

The room was dark, and only the pale light of the 
moon made objects barely recognizable. He thought 
and thought and then remembered his experience with 
Officer Maguire. Suddenly a happy thought came to 
him. He would go to school as usual in the morning 
and tell Mr. Colgan everything, exactly as it had hap- 
pened. He thought that, even though his teacher 
might not believe him, and that he might be punished 
it would be the best plan to follow. He would hope 
and pray that Mr. Colgan would beheve him. He went 
to sleep, and slept soundly the rest of the night. 

Away he went to school in the morning with a 
lighter heart. Of course, he was still worried and 
nervous, but not as he had been the day before and 
during the night. In a short time he was in line. 
Here it was that some of his classmates noticed that 
he was carrying the book. Henry, however, was not 
unduly worried on that account. He had thought, that 
that would happen. He said nothing, however, to the 
questions that were in the eyes of those who saw it. 

Once inside the class-room, he raised his hand, and 
on being recognized by Mr. Colgan, he advanced to his 
desk. There he told Mr. Colgan in a straightforward 
manner just what had happened. Mr. Colgan looked 
at him carefully, but not sternly, for a moment. Then 



92 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

he spoke. His voice was loud enough for the boys 
and girls to hear. 

"Henry, you have never given me cause to doubt 
your word. Therefore, I believe you. You may go to 
your seat and forget about it." 

Henry returned to his seat, and all that morning 
he thought, not of books, but of his teacher. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 93 

TIT FOR TAT 

Not for a long time had Henry seen his cousin 
John. He met him one Saturday afternoon in the 
park. It was not long before they were talking about 
school matters and soon they were in a heated argu- 
ment. 

''Our school is the best in the city," proudly said 
his cousin. 

"Ours is/* retorted Henry loyally. 

"We have white marble steps and you don't," re- 
plied John. 

"You might have marble steps, but we have a 
cement yard and you do not," rejoined Henry. 

"That's nothing, our school is named after Patrick 
Henry." John felt certain now that he had scored a 
winning point. He looked victoriously at his cousin. 

"Isn't ours named after Betsy Ross ? She made the 
flag." 

"Maybe it is, but your school only has up to the 
sixth grade, while ours has up to the eighth." Again 
John looked victoriously at his cousin. 

"What if it has? That doesn't mean anything." 
Henry was quite earnest now and wanted to convince 
his cousin that his was the better school. "You don't 
know," he continued, "do you, that our school beat all 
other schools in the city relay race last year ? Remem- 
ber that, do you ?" 

"Yes, but didn't our school sell more Liberty Bonds 
than yours?" John was now slightly peeved that 
Henry should doubt that his school was the best in 



94 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

the city. 

"Do you know that our school was only built four 
years ago and is newer than yours?" he asked with 
intense excitement. 

"Of course, it is, but that's nothing. Ours is the 
oldest in the city. It was built during the Civil War. 
Now, what do you say about that?" 

"Listen, Henry, I don't want to argue with you 
about your school, because I know that ours is much 
better. Why our school even has telephones in every 
room. Yours hasn't, has it?" 

Henry now was becoming enthusiastic about his 
school. He would show and prove to his cousin once 
for all that no school could compare with his. 

"What are telephones ? Doesn't our school stand on 
a main street? Yours doesn't." 

"I don't care where it stands," angrily answered 
John. "What's that got to do with it ? If your school 
stands on the main street it's noisier than ours because 
all the wagons and things pass by it." 

It was Henry's turn. 

"John, do you know that we have a magic lantern 
in our school and we have pictures shown every week ? 
Pictures of China, Japan, India and Africa." 

"Yes, but our school has an auditorium, and we 
have plays and entertainments. That's what your 
school doesn't have. Now, what do you say about 
that ?" 

"I don't say anything about that, except that you 
can get along very nicely without one. We do, and 
we all have a very good time in school." 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 95 

"Now, I don't want to argue with you, Henry, be- 
cause I don't have to argue with you about which is 
the better school. Everyone knows that ours is. Now, 
let that be the end of that." 

"I don't know it," replied Henry, "and you'll have 
to prove it to me. Everybody knows that ours is best 
and I've proved it to you, haven't I?" 

*^No, you haven't. Your school doesn't have drink- 
ing fountains. Ours has." 

"Maybe so, John, but we get drinks just the same." 

"And look at our school colors," said John. "Blue 
and white. That's the color of the high school." 

"And isn't ours the same color as the city's ? Blue 
and yellow?" 

"Now, listen to me, Henry, I've done telling you 
about our school. If you don't believe ours is better 
you don't have to, and that's all there is to it." 

"You don't have to get angry about it. You haven't 
proved it to me and I don't believe it is as good as ours. 
I'll tell you what we'll do. You see that policeman 
there? Well, we'll go and ask him which is better. 
What do you say about that?" 

Henry never believed that his cousin would say 
yes. He believed that the idea would make him afraid. 
It did, but John thought that if he said yes, 
Henry would back down. Unfortunately Henry didn't. 
There was little left to do but approach the policeman. 
As they neared him they both lost heart. Both 
stopped. 

"Go on," said John, "are you scared?" 

"I didn't stop, you did," replied Henry. 



96 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



Both now walked straight up to the officer. 

''Mister," said Henry, when he saw that John did 
not mean to speak, "which school is better, the Betsey 
Ross or the Henry ? Please tell us." 

The puzzled policeman looked at both of the boys 
who were standing nervously before him and smiled. 

"Well, my boys, I went to the Betsy Ross School, 
although it wasn't called that in my days, and I think 
that it's a first rate school. My daughter is a teacher 
in the Henry School, and she says that that's a first- 
rate school, too, so I think that they are both very 
good." 

The boys thanked him politely and walked away. 
As soon as they were out of hearing distance, John 
spoke. 

"See, I told you. He even has his daughter teaching 
in our school. She wouldn't teach there if it wasn't 
the best." 

"John, I'm not going to say any more, because you 
just won't listen to reason. Didn't you hear him say 
with his own mouth that he used to go to our school 
and thought it was a first-rate school?" 

When last seen the two boys were walking out of 
the park still arguing the merits of the two schools, 
and each firmly convinced that his was better. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 97 

SILENT NIGHT 

One evening Henry's mother, father and sister 
were visiting and Henry was the only one at home. 
He looked at the clock. Ten. It was time to go to 
bed, thought he, and so to bed he went. It was a warm, 
moonless night. Before he pulled the covers over him- 
self he looked at the sky through the window. It 
seemed heavily laden with clouds, because he could 
see no stars. Only the dense darkness of the night 
could he see. There was also a stillness that was very 
unusual. 

For a moment the blackness of the night and the 
tense quiet were but passing thoughts in Henry's 
mind. His thoughts were elsewhere. But in a few 
moments that very darkness and quiet meant fear and 
terror to him. This was very unusual, because Henry 
was not easily scared and he was not a coward by any 
means. Slowly the darkness seemed to shape itself 
in horrid forms. Henry's heart beat wildly. There 
was a great, curiously shaped, dark mass coming 
through the window right towards him. It seemed to 
have big, ugly arms, and these seemed reaching towards 
him. Instinctively he ducked his head under the covers 
and waited for the moment when he would be seized 
in the clutches of the monster. He shivered from 
head to foot and had terrible pains in the head. 

Nothing happened, but the very fact that nothing 
happened made Henry feel all the worse, for he pic- 
tured in his troubled mind the giant mass hovering 
over his head, looking laughingly at his helplessness. 
His heart sank into deeper depths, and despair crept 



98 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

over him on all sides. Then courage came to him. 
Reason conquered fear. He had not been harmed 
by the monster and he began to believe that there 
was no monster after all, but that everything was due 
to his imagination, which he thought was playing 
tricks with him. 

He threw his covers off his head with the speed 
of lightning. He looked around him. Nothing was 
in the room. This fact made him feel confident and 
he lost every evidence of fear. He sat up in his bed 
and laughed at himself. Certainly, thought he, he had 
been very foolish to let his imagination run wild as 
it had done. 

His thoughts were interrupted abruptly. Noises 
came to his ears, as though one were moving through 
the shrubbery below his window. He sat upright in 
his bed and listened, every nerve of his body tense. 
Elements of fear began to creep over him and to under- 
mine his confidence. Not for a moment did he 
cease listening. But when a long time had passed 
and nothing had happened, he began to feel easier 
and his courage again returned. This time, with 
increased strength, he resolved that once for all 
he would be a man and fear nothing. At the same 
time, however, he wished that his father and mother 
would return. He even wished that Harry were there 
to keep him company. Then he would have fun, he 
thought. 

To make certain that all fear had left him and that 
he had complete control over himself, he crept boldly 
from his bed and to the window. He looked out. A cold 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 99 

shiver ran through the entire length of his body. The 
very darkness of the ground below scared him, but only 
momentarily. He remembered what he had decided to 
do, and he thought that this would be a good test to 
see if he couldn't control his imagination. 

He put his head once more out of the window and 
looked searchingly below. True, he felt a little creepy 
but he resolved to see it through. Gradually objects 
began to define themselves below. He looked vainly 
for anything suspicious, and more confident than ever 
that he was not, and would not again be, scared, he re- 
turned to bed and started to sleep. 

In a few seconds he was awake again with the old 
fear in him. A strange knock resounded through his 
room. It seemed to come from the next room. That 
was his sister's room. He listened carefully. It 
sounded again. He sat up bravely. His fear left him. 
He arose from his bed and approached on tiptoe to 
the door of the next room. He bent his head to the 
keyhole and listened. He was close to the electric 
switch. It controlled the lights of his room. He 
considered for a moment whether it would be wise for 
him to push the button and decided that it wasn't. 

Presently, he remembered that the switch that 
controlled the lights in the next room was on the wall 
close to the door. But he thought that it would be 
very foolhardy to open the door and push the button. 
He was thinking what was best to do and was not a 
bit afraid. Then a plan came to him. 

He walked silently to the open window and then in 
a loud, clear voice spoke. 



100 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

"Yes, he's in the room next to this one. He can't 
get out from this door because I'm here waiting for 
him. Station your men in front and back, and send 
two up the steps. We've got him now." 

Then he became quiet and advanced to the switch 
and threw on the lights. He was confident that he 
had made a master move. 

"Now, come out 1" he commanded in a steady voice. 
He never stopped to reahze what he would do if anyone 
should come out. But his spirits were high and he 
was enjoying being brave. He waited. Nothing hap- 
pened and no one came out. Everything was quiet in 
the next room. 

Presently he trembled. Noises came at irregular 
intervals to his ears. He would have run, but he 
remembered his resolution. He stood his ground and 
listened further. Then, struck with an idea, he sHpped 
on his shoes, walked softly down the steps and came 
up again, making as much noise as he possibly could 
with his shoes. He would give the intruder the im- 
pression that men were coming up the steps. 

In a few seconds he was in his room again. He 
walked heavily towards the door of his sister's room, 
and with a quick movement turned the key, locking 
the door. A feeling of triumph came over him. He 
had the man locked up. Any moment his parents 
would arrive and his father would fix him, he thought. 
Then it was that he realized how foolish he had been 
in yelling out of the window and in coming heavily 
up the steps. He began to wonder what he would 
have done if the man had come out. No one would 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 101 

have been there to help him. 

His thoughts were interrupted abruptly by the 
very knocks that he had heard the moment before, 
but this time they seemed to come from his mother's 
room, and fear with all its doubt grew upon him and 
scared him more than ever before. A good thing it was 
that the lights in his room were lit, he thought. A 
second later he was not so sure that it was a good 
thing. It would make him easily seen by anyone in 

the house and give him all the advantage. 

In another moment the lights were out and Henry 
was shivering throughout the length of his form. It 
was impossible to think now. He was too frightened. 
Then suddenly, terror of terrors! 

The noises were in his room. Right beside him! 

There was a steady knock, knock, knock. He felt his 
heart growing weaker and weaker, and himself growing 
faint. In another moment he thought he would drop 
to the floor. 

But in another moment he was laughing, and 
laughing heartily. Never did he laugh that way before. 
He was close to the radiator. So that was it, was it? 
Well, a nice trick it had played on him, he thought. 
The hammering knocks had been nothing but sounds 
from the pipes running from the cellar, the knocks with 
which everyone is familiar. Henry, too, was familiar 
with them, but the very moment when he heard them 
first, he was so certain of his ability to get the better 
of his imagination, that it was getting the better of 
him while he was thinking about it. 

He was a wiser boy. He unlocked his sister's door, 



102 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

walked boldly into it and turned on the switch. Every- 
thing was as usual. He laughed again. He felt 
stronger than ever. He returned to his bed after 
having put out the light and was soon fast asleep. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 103 

DOUBT 

It was Saturday. Always on that day Henry was 
exceedingly happy because he was free to play as 
he wished. Not that he didn't enjoy going to school. 
He did. But after five days of it one naturally feels 
like doing something different, and free from super- 
vision. Usually Henry would play ball with his 
friends. Occasionally he would go to the moving 
pictures in the afternoon. Whatever it was, he always 
had a good time on Saturday. 

On this particular Saturday both his mother and 
sister had gone shopping. Henry had been asked by 
his mother to see that the house was securely locked 
if he should leave, and Henry promised faithfully to 
do so. He was in very good spirits, because on that 
very morning the team, on which he played, was sched- 
uled to meet one of the strongest teams of the city, 
and he was very anxious to participate in such a game. 

After his mother had been gone for some time, he 
went to his room to look for his bat, and not finding 
it suddenly recalled that he had placed it in the 
cellar on the Saturday previous. He took a match 
from the pantry and went down the cellar to look for 
it. The electric globe in the cellar had buraed out 
and had not yet been replaced. He struck the match 
upon reaching the foot of the steps and no sooner 
had he done so than it went out. Henry was a trifle 
disappointed, but returned up the steps realizing that 
he should have taken more than one match with him. 

This time he took several, and finding the bat, he 
left the house and went to meet his companions. 



104 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



Within a short time the happy crowd of youngsters 
was gayly marching towards the park where the 
eagerly awaited contest was to take place. They 
tossed their gloves and balls in the air and swung 
their bats merrily as they walked, for their spirits 
were high. What pleased them more than anything 
else was the fact that they were wearing their new 
baseball togs. 

Presently Henry's good spirits gave way to doubt 
and then worry, doubt and worry over two things. 
He was not certain that he had securely locked the 
door of his house, and what was far worse, he was not 
certain that the match, that he had struck in the 
cellar, had gone completely out. 

As he thought about it, it made him feel the 
worse. He tried to picture his movements in the cel- 
lar. He pictured the match from the moment he 
struck it until the time that he threw it away. He 
remembered everything except the act of throwing it 
away. The uncertainty as to what he did with it 
changed his worry to dismay. The next second he 
was reassured. He felt that he could have done noth- 
ing less than what he should have done, because he 
had never failed to do so before. But his confidence 
did not last. Doubt again came over him. 

His playmates did not yet seem to notice his 
anxiety but walked joyfully. They were now about 
ten squares from Henry's house. He considered 
whether he should leave them and hasten back, think- 
ing that he could catch up with them by taking the 
car. Before he could think further the clang, clang, 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 105 

clang of fire engines came to his ears and his spirits 
drooped. He saw his home burning in flames. He 
listened, every nerve in his body tense, for the ap- 
proaching engine. Presently the engines came in sight. 
Henry would have screamed but words seemed to fail 
him. Meantime all his friends had stopped on the 
first sound of the bells. 

All watched the engines as they sped by, each boy 
thrilled by the galloping horses and the helmeted fire- 
fighters. That is everyone except Henry. He visioned 
his house devoured by flames, all his things destroyed, 
no place to sleep at night and his father and mother 
heartbroken, all on account of his carelessness. He 
turned pale. 

Presently the fire engines turned off the street into 
a street at right angles to which they had been going 
and away from the direction that led to his house. 
Henry's spirits rose violently. He was overjoyed. It 
couldn't be his house that was burning. Yet the next 
clang of the fire-bells might mean just that. Perhaps 
his cellar was burning slowly and had not yet been 
discovered. Again he worried. 

Then a thought came to him. He asked his play- 
mates to wait a minute, and then rushed into the drug 
store, near which they had stopped to watch the en- 
gines. He rushed breathlessly into the telephone booth 
and telephoned his home. Impatiently he heard the 
familiar ring of the operator. Every second seemed 
an hour to him. Then suddenly there came a feeble 
voice over the wire: 

"Hello" 



106 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

It was his sister. 

"Is that you, Mary?" he asked. 

"Yes, Henry, what is it?" she asked. 

"Mary, look down the cellar and see if everything 
is all right ?" 

"Hold the wire." 

There was a pause. Henry waited eagerly for her 
voice and answer. 

"Yes, everything's all right. Why do you ask?'* 

"I'll tell you when I get home. Good-by." 

The overjoyed boy rushed from the booth and re- 
joined his playmates. Soon they reached the park. 
There they met the team about which they had heard 
so much and triumphed over them. 

Henry never forgot those matches. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 107 

A TRICK OF MEMORY 

If there was one thing that Henry enjoyed in 
school it was doing things for Mr. Colgan. He joyed 
when his teacher asked him to erase or wash the 
boards, and he fairly went into ecstasy when he was 
asked to go on an errand for him. He liked also to 
distribute and collect papers. For a long time, how- 
ever, Mr. Colgan had failed to call on him for any 
of these tasks and Henry wondered whether his 
teacher had forgotten about him. 

One day his luck changed. Mr. Colgan asked him 
if he would like to go on an errand for him. Henry 
was overjoyed. He responded that he would be only 
too glad to do so. 

*'Get your cap, Henry. It is to another school 
that I am going to send you." 

Henry secured his cap while his classmates looked 
enviously at him. He advanced to his teacher's desk 
and awaited instructions. It was Mr. Colgan's custom 
when he sent boys on errands outside of the school to 
give them notes. This was because it made matters 
easier for the boy, and in many cases the errand was 
of such a nature as to be very easily forgotten if 
the instructions were given orally. But on this oc- 
casion he either forgot to give Henry a note or else 
thought the message could be very easily remembered. 

"Henry, I'd like you to go to the Brandywine 
School for me. There you will find Mr. Marshall. He 
is on the second floor, room 10. That is easy to re- 
member, isn't it?" 

Henry replied that it was. 



108 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



"Well, then, you will tell him that you have come 
for the mucilage that I spoke to him about, and he 
will give it to you." 

''Yes, Mr. Colgan," replied the boy enthusiastically. 

In another moment he was off to the Brandywine 
School. 

He walked along briskly, thinking of, and repeating 
the word ''mucilage" to himself. It was the one part 
of his instructions that he feared he might forget. 
He was halted abruptly by a familiar voice speaking 
to him. It was his aunt. 

She greeted him, and after a few questions had 
been answered by Henry, they parted, and Henry con- 
tinued on his journey. 

Perhaps he repeated the word "mucilage" over 
one hundred times. He would make certain that he 
would not forget. In a short time he was at the steps 
of the Brandywine School. In another few moments 
he was on the second floor. He did not proceed at 
once to locate room 10, but stopped to repeat the word 
"mucilage." He knew it and knew it well. 

Then he began to look for room 10. It was directly 
in front of him. He put his hand on the knob of the 
door and again thought of the word. The boy dropped 
his hand as though struck by thunder. It had slipped 
his memory. A peculiar feeling crept over him. He 
stopped and thought. He grew despondent. Try as he 
would he could not think of the word. 

Suddenly the door beside him opened and a tall 
dark-haired man stepped out. 

"Are you from the Henry School?" he asked. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 109 

"Yes, sir," replied Henry nervously. 
"All right, my boy, I'll get you the mucilage in 
a moment/* 

The clouds of discouragement and dismay that 
hovered over Henry vanished. His face beamed with 
smiles. 

In a few moments he was on his way back to his 
own school with a package under his arm. He was 
whistling merrily. 



110 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



BUDDING KNIGHTHOOD 

Mr. Colgan told his class the story of Sir Walter 
Raleigh. He related how that worthy and noble 
young man was one day standing, waiting to see the 
beloved Queen Elizabeth and members of her court 
as they approached the royal barge which lay at the 
foot of a stairway leading to the river Thames. He 
told how Walter Raleigh, eager to catch a better 
glimpse of ''Good Queen Bess," as the people were 
wont to call her, sought his way forward through the 
assembled throng as far as the soldiers of the queen 
would permit him. 

He told how Raleigh stood admiring the oncoming 
queen, and how he noticed that just in front of the 
place where he was standing, there was a pool of mud, 
caused by the heavy rains of the evening before, and 
that this barrier stood in her line of approach. Hastily 
throwing his new and much admired red cloak from 
his shoulders and spreading it over the pool that she 
might pass untouched by the mud, he straightened 
himself, and somewhat abashed, fixed his eyes upon 
the lovely queen. 

She hesitated for a moment, looked at the gallant 
youth, blushed slightly herself, and then passed in 
silence to the royal barge. 

Later the queen inquired about the young man and 
summoned him to her court. For his act, Walter 
Raleigh received the honor of knighthood and was 
ever after a great favorite with the queen, and highly 
regarded by her. 

When Mr. Colgan finished reading the story he felt 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 111 

certain that every pupil in his class had been impressed 
by it, and would act gallantly toward ladies should the 
occasion arise. 

For Henry the test came, and came that very day. 

As he was walking in line in the school yard, 
James, who had been full of mischief that day, passed 
a remark to a boy in front of Henry. The words 
reached Henry's ears, and being very funny, made 
Henry smile. 

Miss Biltmore, one of the teachers in charge, on 
hearing the noise, turned just as Henry was smiling, 
and thought that he was the culprit who made the 
noise. 

She removed him from the line and told him to 
wait aside until she would have time to attend to him. 

In a few minutes she turned her attention to him. 

**You were talking," she said sternly. There was 
something in her attitude that frightened Henry 
although he didn't know what. He looked into her 
eyes, but when they met his he lowered his head 
slowly. Henry had never believed that a woman could 
be so commanding. He knew that he could not match 
the wits of such a person. 

"No, Miss Biltmore, I wasn't talking." Henry 
spoke timidly. 

For a moment the teacher said nothing, but stared 
at him as though she were studying him, but presently 
she spoke: 

"You were laughing." 

"Yes, Miss Biltmore," said Henry. Fear that the 
matter would come to the attention of Mr. Colgan now 



112 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



overshadowed present events. 

Miss Biltmore seemed to gather anger at his admis- 
sion and her face grew sterner. 

*'You shall have no recess tomorrow, and you shall 
report to Mr. Colgan and tell him what you have done." 

For the moment Henry was stunned. The teacher 
turned from him and walked towards the building. 
As she did so she unknowingly dropped her handker- 
chief. Henry saw it fall. His feeling at first was to 
be glad at her loss. Once inside the building she 
might not miss it for some time, Henry thought, and 
then, perhaps, it would be too late. 

While he was happy in the thought that something 
had happened to her, the wish came to him that 
something worse should befall her that she might be 
further punished. Then, suddenly, the story of Sir 
Walter Raleigh came to his mind. 

Henry thought for a moment, then rushed for the 
handkerchief. He ran hastily to the teacher, called 
her politely and placed the handkerchief in her hand, 
his arm trembling as he did so. 

The teacher looked at him intently and then put 
one hand upon his shoulder. 

"What is your name ?" she asked. 

* 'Henry Merrill," he repHed, his feelings somewhat 

relieved by her attitude. 

"I am going to retract what I told you to do, Henry. 

Tm not going to tell you why. Please come to my 

room. I want to give you a note for your teacher." 

Henry, cheered considerably, followed her to the 

class-room and waited while she smilingly wrote a few 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 113 

words on a sheet of paper and sealed it in an envelope. 
She gave it to him. 

"Henry, take this letter to Mr. Colgan, please." • 

Henry turned to go. 

"And Henry T 

He halted his steps and again faced her. 

"We are going to be friends, aren't we?" she said 
smilingly. 

"Yes, Miss Biltmore," he replied, beginning to feel 
that she was indeed sincere. He resolved that never 
again would he give her cause for complaint. 

He returned to his class-room and, of course, was 
somewhat late. The wide-open eyes of Mr. Colgan 
met him as he entered. Henry approached his teacher 
and handed him the note. 

"Miss Biltmore told me to give this to you." 

The teacher opened it with much interest and 
read it. 

He turned his eyes from the letter to the boy, 
smiled pleasantly and said: 

"All right, Henry, take your seat." 



114 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



SAFETY FIRST 

One day it was necessary that Henry visit the 
barber shop, because his locks had not been attended 
to when they should have been. As a result, his 
schoolmates were already mocking him and telling 
him that the "barbers were coming after him on horse- 
back." So when matters became unbearable, Henry 
betook himself to the barber shop. There his hair 
was cut. 

Henry felt a peculiar feeling of satisfaction as the 
barber moved deftly with his scissors to put the finish- 
ing touches on the operation. Henry felt relieved. 
The scissors seemed to free a load from his mind and 
when he looked into the broad mirror before him he 
saw that his hair had been well cut. He had looked 
into that mirror very often while his hair was being 
cut and had noticed that the barber in the chair next 
to his was shaving a man. It was exceedingly inter- 
esting to Henry to watch the keen blade of the razor 
move over the man's face ^vith its peculiar cutting 

sound and leave that part of the skin over which it 
had traveled, smooth and clean and clear of soap. Only 
when his own barber moved Henry's head did he turn 
his eyes from the man next to him. 

What a dangerous operation it must be, thought 
Henry. Suppose the blade should miscarry? Suppose 
the man should suddenly cough? Suppose a sudden 
explosion of some kind, or other loud noise should 
occur in the street immediately outside? Henry shiv- 
ered as he reflected. Then the thought came to him 
that in the not many years to come he, too, would be 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 115 

sitting under such a razor, and one equally as sharp. 

Soon, however, his thoughts were interrupted by 
his barber saying "Next," and he left the chair. In- 
stantly he brought his hand to his head to feel his 
shortened hair and was satisfied. In another moment 
he was out of the barber shop and on his way home. 

It so happened that Henry's father had that very 
day purchased a new safety razor. When Henry 
saw it, a natural desire to examine it came over him, 
and so, on the first occasion he went upstairs, made 
certain that his father was not at home, and secured 
the razor. It was the first time that he had had one 
in his hands. He examined it minutely. He removed 
the blade somehow, found that it was very sharp by 
cutting paper with it, and then replaced it. 

The safety razor was like a toy to him and he 
felt as though he would like to play with it in some 
way. Then the thought came to him that he, too, in 
the days to come, would by a razor like that, rather 
than run the risk of being cut by the barber. He re- 
flected how much less horrible this razor looked than 
the one that the barber used. 

Presently he remembered that there was consider- 
able growth of down upon his cheeks. He put his 
hand to them. The fine hairs seemed coarser than 
ever to him. Then came a desire to get the down 
off his face and to have a clear skin. It would be an 
easy task, he thought, with a safety razor, and he 
had one in his hand. Of course it was a safety razor. 
Didn't it say so on the very razor itself? And being 
a safety razor there could be no harm in using it. 



116 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

He hesitated no longer. Quickly he took his 
father's brush and lathered his face freely, perhaps 
a little too freely, because the soap crept between 
his hps, into his nostrils and even into his eyes. 
Annoyed, he washed his face clear of all the soap and 
again lathered his face, this time being careful not to 
put on too much. 

Everything was ready. He maneuvered for a 
moment with the razor so as to get it ready for action 
and then applied it to the skin of his face. He thrilled 
immensely as the sound of the cutting blade came to 
his ears. He felt that he was a man. He felt big and 
proud and overjoyed. 

Presently a stinging pain came to his cheek. It 
lasted but a moment. Henry looked at his face, saw 
nothing, thought that it was nothing, and resumed. 
Soon there came another sharp pain, but it was of 
so short duration that Henry paid no attention to it, 
thinking that perhaps it was because of the fact that 
the operation was new to him. After a few more 
such sharp pains Henry's face was practically clear 
of soap and down. A peculiar feeling of satisfaction 
crept over him. 

He proceeded to wash his face clear of all soap 
that had not been removed by the razor. This done, 
he leaned nearer to the mirror to more adequately 
admire his first shave. He halted abruptly and opened 
his eyes wide. His face was full of blood. 

Fear, indescribable fear, came into his heart. For 
the moment he was stunned. Almost frantic, he ap- 
plied water to his face to remove the blood. The 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 117 

water washed it from his face. A second later fresh 
drops appeared in different parts of his face. Again 
he washed them away with water. Again they ap- 
peared. He applied peroxide. It did not seem to aid 
noticeably. He bathed his face with more and more 
water and gradually the blood ceased flowing. He was 
plainly relieved. 

He looked at his face. It was cut in many places 
and, what was worse, easily noticeable. Henry thought 
of his father, then hastily dried the razor and looked 
disgustingly at it. 

''So! That's a safety razor, is it?'' he thought to 
himself. 

Henry was more glad than ever that he was still 
a boy. He covered the cuts with powder as best he 
could and went downstairs. Soon his father came 
home and in a short time supper was served. Henry 
avoided direct glances at his father as much as possi- 
ble. The latter seemed to detect nothing wrong. 
Henry went to bed early that evening, having added 
to his store of knowledge. 



118 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

PENNY LUNCH 
One morning Henry arose later than he usually did, 
with the result that he had to hasten with his break- 
fast considerably. Not much food passed between his 
lips and soon he was off to school. Perhaps he could 
have taken a chance on getting to school on time and 
endeavor to eat more breakfast, but he thought that 
he could very easily wait until recess-time when he 
would buy a few pretzels and cakes, and thus satisfy 
his hunger until noon. 

He arrived at school just in the nick of time and 
was somewhat glad that he had, and that he was 
not late. In a short time he was busily engaged with 
his lessons, and under normal conditions would have 
had no time to think about other matters. Soon, 
however, an empty feeling stole into his stomach and 
he began to feel the first pangs of hunger. Then it 
was that he remembered that he had not eaten much 
in the morning. 

With the thought that he had not had a sufficient 
breakfast, the empty feeling seemed to become keener 
and he felt very hungry. To make matters worse, 
someone sitting near him had deliciously smelling pea- 
nut brittle in his pocket and the odor of it came now 
<-o Henry's nostrils. It made the something that he 
felt in his stomach gnaw. He could not continue with 
his work. 

Moreover, when he remembered that recess time 
was still a long way off it seemed to make matters 
worse. Mr. Colgan noticed that Henry had ceased pay- 
ing proper attention to what he should be doing and he 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 119 

reminded him of the fact. This spurred Henry and for 
a time he forgot his hunger. But only for a time. It 
returned with increased and invigorated fury. 

In this manner Henry suffered the early part of 
the morning through ; first a feeling of intense hunger 
and craving for food, then a lull, then the return of 
that gnawing feeling in his stomach and throat. 

What a relief to him when at last recess-time came I 
Impatiently he hastened to form in line in the basement 
where the lunch was sold. It w^as a long line but 
Henry did not mind. He was hungry, and long waits 
and long lines do not stop the hungry. After a time 
he approached the counter. He reached his hand into 
his pocket for his money. It was not there. He 
reached his hand into his other pocket. Certainly, he 
remembered. He should have done that the first time, 
for he recollected having put it there the afternoon of 
the day before. But when he reached in, nothing 
touched his fingers. No money was there and big, 
tasty, mouth-watering pretzels were staring the starv- 
ing boy in the face. For a moment he was confused. 

He was quickly brought to his senses by the boys 
back of him telling him to get a move on. Henry 
could do nothing but leave the line and continue his 
search for the money, so that those in the rear of 
him could be waited on. 

His hunger steadily increased and so did his per- 
plexity. He searched all his pockets. He found noth- 
ing but an old collar-button. He searched again to 
make certain. Again he found nothing but the button. 
His dismay grew beyond reasonable bounds, spurred 



120 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

on by pangs of his empty stomach. 

He was about to resign himself to what had hap- 
pened when his friend Harry strolled leisurely by, 
with three pretzels in his hand. He noticed that some- 
thing was troubling Henry and asked him what it 
was. Henry told him. There followed a banking 
transaction and Harry dug his hand into his pocket for 
some coins. 

In a few moments Henry was joyfully holding two 
pretzels in one hand and biting away with much en- 
thusiasm on a third. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 121 

A STITCH IN TIME 

For days the boys in Henry's class could be seen 
practising for the coming race. Mr. Colgan had offered 
a prize, a beautiful pencil-companion to the boy who 
would win the fifty-yard dash on the day when 
Henry's class was to hold its picnic in the park. They 
could be seen every afternoon on the vacant lot near 
Henry's home or at recess in the school yard timing 
themselves with a borrowed stop-watch. Great was 
the excitement on these occasions, and great was 
the rivalry between the boys of the class. Of course, 
it was friendly rivalry and all the onlookers enjoyed 
the events, especially when the races were exceedingly 
close. 

Occasionally there would be much commotion and 
cheering, especially on the part of the girls of the 
class whenever this or that favorite of a particular 
group would be in the lead. Carrie was ever cheering 
for Henry and so were a few of her friends. The 
other boys, however, did not lack admirers. Henry, 
it seemed, did not get as much cheering as his friend, 
Harry. He seemed to notice this but at first paid no 
particular attention to it. One day, however, he 
overheard a group of his classmates discussing the 
merits of the runners and it peeved him considerably 
when someone passed the remark that Harry was a 
much better runner than he was. 

Not that he was envious, but because he knew that 
he, himself, was a better runner, since he had often 
raced with Harry and had always beaten him. Soon, 
however, this remark ceased to worry him. He would 



122 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

show them in the race, he thought, who was the better 
runner. That would convince everybody, he felt cer- 
tain. He was not very confident that he would win 
the race, but he was certain that he would finish 
ahead of Harry. 

To make certain that he would be in trim condi- 
tion on the day of the race, Henry had taken the best 
of care of himself. Every evening he had retired very 
early, indeed. On no occasion had he over-eaten. He 
knew that a sick stomach meant a poor runner. He 
was also exceedingly careful, too, of what he put into 
his stomach. He practiced running on every occasion. 
He even ran to the stores when his mother sent him 
on errands. 

The day before the race came. A group of Henry's 
classmates and himself were in the school yard at 
recess discussing the events of the morrow. Presently 
someone made the suggestion that Henry and Harry 
run a trial race in the school yard. It was welcomed 
by the other boys in the group as a good suggestion. 
They urged Henry and Harry to follow the suggestion. 
Both boys were exceedingly reluctant to show their 
skill in advance, especially to gratify the curiosity of 
those who were debating the merits of each of them. 
However, the pressure soon became too strong for them 
to refuse and they consented. That portion of the 
yard that was used for running was cleared. 

Both boys lined up at the starting place, smiled 
pleasantly to each other and prepared for the starter's 
*'Go!" Meantime a goodly portion of the school popu- 
lation had hned itself along the course of the race. 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 123 

eager to see the two runners who were the subjects 
of so much discussion. Considerable debate went on 
among them about who was going to be the winner. 

Presently the signal was given and the two boys 
were off, each with good starts. They ran. Their 
friends cheered. Now Henry surged ahead and his 
admirers went wild with joy. They threw their caps 
high into the air and rent it with their cries. Most of 
the cheering was against Harry, but this did not dis- 
hearten him. In fact, it seemed to spur him on. He 
made a mighty effort and surged forward. He was 
neck-to-neck with Henry. The boys and girls became 
strangely quiet. They rose on tiptoes and held their 
breaths. Such an event had not taken place in the 
school yard for a long, long time. 

The two boys raced on with all might, each striv- 
ing to outdo the other. Now Harry surged ahead 
and the crowd yelled their cheers, at least that portion 
of it that sympathized with him. It was but for the 
moment, however, for before they had time to realize 
it Henry had gone ahead. They were rapidly nearing 
the end of the course. 

At this point Harry plunged forward with all speed 
and in another moment the two boys crossed the line 
exactly at the same time. A mighty cheer arose. 
Much discussion followed as to who had crossed earlier 
by those who were not near the end of the course, but it 
was soon stopped when Mr. Colgan, who had been 
watching the contest, said that it was his opinion that 
they had crossed at exactly the same time. 

Everything was at once interrupted by the ringing 



124 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 



of the school bell. All, at once formed into their re- 
spective lines and soon were in their class-rooms, busily 
engaged in their work. 

At noon, however, the sole topic of discussion was 
the race of the morning. Everyone was impatient 
for the morrow, especially the boys and girls in Henry's 
class, for they would all be at the race. Before going 
to bed that evening Henry took a good look at the 
sky. He was a bit worried for fear it might rain on the 
next day. He went to bed slightly uneasy, because 
the sky was somewhat cloudy. Once or twice during 
the night he had awakened with the belief that it 
was raining. He went to the windov/ and peered into 
the darkness and then returned to sleep. So far, so 
good. It was not raining. 

Morning came. Bright sunlight poured into his 
room and cheered him beyond expression. His mother 
made lunch for him, packed it neatly after having 
put lots of goodies into it, and soon Henry was off 
with his class to the picnic. It was a splendid day 
and everyone was in a jolly mood. Soon they reached 
the park. 

Here they rested for a short time, chatting and 
laughing and discussing school and other affairs. The 
time for the races came. This was the event all had 
been waiting for. A course was plotted out and 
measured. It was a broad piece of meadow land, as 
smooth as one could desire for a race and evenly 
covered with recently cut grass. It was an ideal place 
for a race. Henry's heart beat more quickly as he 
advanced to the starting line. He looked at Harry and 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 125 



Harry looked at him. They were friends, yet each felt 
in himself a desire to vanquish the other. 

They prepared for the start. The other boys and 

girls who were not in the race became quiet. They 

watched eagerly as the boys bent and placed their 

hands on the ground for the starting words. They 

came like a flash from the lips of Mr. Colgan and 

the boys were off. There were fifteen in all. For a 

moment no one could tell which was which, the runners 
being so close to each other. Soon, however, they 

began to separate, the poorer runners lagging behind 

and the better runners surging ahead of them. 

In a short time it was a neck-to-neck race between 
Henry and Harry. They were far in the lead. It 
seemed that what happened yesterday was being re- 
peated again. But only for a moment. Henry 
went like the wind and was now about four paces 
ahead of Harry. Everyone on the sidelines rushed 
towards the end of the course to see the finish. Not, 
a sound came from their lips, so tense was the excite- 
ment. 

Then it was that something happened. Henry's 
lead had increased to about six paces when, without 
warning, the garter that was holding up one of his 
stockings broke. Henry stopped for a second as if 
stunned. When he realized what had happened he 
brought one hand to his stocking to hold it up and 
continued to run. But he ran awkwardly and, of course, 
less speedily than he did before and Harry gained. 
At this point Henry unfortunately looked back and 
lost more time. 



126 IN SCHOOL AND OUT 

It was not long before Harry had reached him. 
Henry was disheartened. Soon Harry passed him. 
A second later he passed the line a winner. Shouts 
rose in the air and all thronged around him. Henry, 
blushing considerably, retreated to a nearby tree and 
sat down. In his hand he held the broken garter. 
His spirits were drooped and he wished to be alone. 
He also wished that he had a needle and a thread. 
Unfortunately, he was soon surrounded by a group 
of his companions and sympathizers. They were very 
sorry that the accident had happened to him. 

Presently Harry came over to where he was sitting. 
He looked at his friend and then spoke to him: 

"Henry, as soon as you have your garter fixed we 
will race again. I don't want a victory like that. I 
want to win fairly and not accidently. I'm going to 
ask Mr. Colgan to let us run again.'* 

They all liked what Harry had said and their 
opinions of him rose considerably. He walked over 
to Mr. Colgan and spoke to him. Mr. Colgan gave 
his consent, smiled pleasantly at him and told the boys 
and girls to get ready for the race. Someone had a 
wide rubber band which he gave to Henry to be used 
for a garter. It was very good and Henry felt com- 
fortable once again. 

This time only Henry and Harry were to run, be- 
cause one of them would have won if the accident had 
not happened, since the other boys were far in the 
rear. 

The race started. Great was the excitem.ent when 
Henry got off to a good start and was going fast 



IN SCHOOL AND OUT 127 

about two paces ahead of Harry. Soon, however, 
Harry came forward, Henry slowing down somewhat. 
Harry's lead increased. Soon he crossed the line. He 
was five paces ahead of Henry. Cheers arose for both 
boys. Everyone liked the spirit of both of them and 
they all had enjoyed the races. They were a trifle 
sorry for Henry for they felt that he would have won 
the first race if his garter had not broken. 

What they did not know was that Henry had wanted 
his rival to win the second race because he could not 
forget what fine sportsmanship Harry had shown in 
asking to have the race run again. Henry was sorry 
about the garter, but he was glad that he had found 
something worth while in his friend. 



